


To Catch A Ladybug

by ColdWater



Series: The LB [1]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: AU, Aged Up, F/M, Fluff, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-08
Updated: 2017-01-17
Packaged: 2018-09-07 06:36:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 28,273
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8787484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ColdWater/pseuds/ColdWater
Summary: Adrien moves in across the hall from Marinette. Shenanigans ensue.





	1. The Bug

**Author's Note:**

> First chapter of the new fic. I'll be updating this once or twice a week depending on how homework goes once the new semester starts. But for now, I'll try to get two out a week.

There was a bug is his apartment. Small and spotted with red and black, it sat on the kitchen counter, minding its own business. Adrien Agreste had seen ladybugs before, but they were not what he was expecting to find in his apartment the first morning he was there. He looked at the small bug for a moment longer, and then remembered that he was in fact a human being and could take care of this on his own. He pulled a glass from the cupboard, which still had newspaper in it from the move, and after removing the bit of paper, but the glass over the bug, pleased with himself for only a moment, before realizing that now he had to get it out of the apartment.

Part of him was saying “just kill it” while the other told him to do what was right and let the little bug go outside. He looked at the clock, and decided that his best bet was the window. Using a postcard he had meant to send back to his friends at home the day before, Adrien picked up the cup and headed for the window, letting the little bug go, and allowing it to fly away safe and sound.

But his little act of compassion cost him time as he raced down the stairs, deciding that being late on his first day at a new job was not a good idea. He made it to the elevator and stepped inside, riding down to the first floor by himself. Adrien had spent the last few days memorizing the parts of the metro he would have to use in order to get to work every day, and his nerves went away immediately as he made it to the building he had interviewed in a few weeks prior.

He stepped inside and remembered what he had been told last time. “Your job is going to be assistant to the editor. Do this well, and you'll be able to progress here well.”. He looked around, but didn't waste any time heading for the editor's office, knocking on the door.

“Come in.” A female voice said. Adrien opened the door and found a small woman with pink hair sitting behind the desk.

“Hello.” Adrien said, “I'm Adrien Agreste, I'm-”

“Oh I know who you are.” The woman said, “I'm Iva Moraeu.” She held out her hand and smiled, “I hear you're my new assistant. Good. I've been missing mine for a few weeks now,”

“What happened them?” Adrien asked, taking the seat that Iva motioned to.

“She got a better job here.” Iva said, “You'll probably meet her, one of the best journalists we've had in a while.”

“What's she working on now?” Adrien asked, “Anything interesting?”

“Well I would be afraid to tell Alya that something she was working on _wasn't_ interesting, so yes, what she's working on is interesting,” Adrien looked at Iva for a moment, who blinked and then laughed, “But that doesn't answer your question of what is she working on.” She said, and pulled a folder out of her desk, “Alya runs the website dedicated to the graffiti artist LB.” She opens the folder, and Adrien sees some of the artwork that he had seen on the sides of buildings in the past few days as he moved into his new apartment.

“Who is LB?” He picked up one of the pictures and looked at it, the colors were mostly red and black, “Do we know what it stands for?”

“Not really.” Iva said, “We assume that it means something, but Alya has never been able to figure it out.” Adrien puts the photo back and Iva closes the folder, putting it back in her desk, “Alya is one of our best journalists. She started the website last year when she started working here, and it's been one of our most popular segments when we publish pictures of it in the magazine.” She smiled at Adrien, “And what is it you hope to accomplish here, Adrien?” Iva asked, “It has to be more than just being my assistant.”

“Honestly, I was just looking for a job in the city.” Adrien says, and Iva laughs, “But I did a little bit of modeling when I was in high school, so I could always get back into that.”

“Well we're happy to have you on our team.” Iva said, and she began to take Adrien through his day to day responsibilities. He made it smoothly through his first day, and then headed home, taking extra care to look at any graffiti he saw, trying to recognize the style from the pictures he had seen that day. A few pieces stuck out to him, but it could have just been their use of the color red.

When he made it to his building he stepped into the lobby and went to the wall of mailboxes that stood inside. He checked, and was not surprised to find his empty. He was surprised however, to find the landlord in the elevator as he stepped in. The landlord lived on the top floor, and according to some of the other residents wasn't seen much, but was fair and always made sure to get things that needed fixing fixed as soon as he could.

“Adrien hello!” The landlord said as Adrien stepped into the elevator, “How are you liking the apartment.”

“The apartment is great, but the strangest thing happened this morning.” He said, “I found a ladybug on my counter.” He said, and the landlord looked at him with a strange expression.

“You live in 312, that's across from...oh.” He smiled and laughed, “Marinette.”

“Marinette?” Adrien said, “Who's that?”

“The bug girl.” The landlord said, “She keeps bugs in her apartment, it's probably hers.”

“I let it go outside, do you think she'll be upset?”

“I doubt it, she has plenty more I can guarantee.” The landlord said, “She's a little strange, but she is reasonable.” The elevator doors opened then, and Adrien said goodbye to the landlord, and walked towards his apartment. He heard a noise coming from the hall, and he rounded the corner to find his cat, Plagg, sitting in front the closed door of 313.

“How on earth did you get out?” He asked the cat, laughing as he picked him up and went to his own door. As soon as Plagg was removed from the door of 313, it opened, and a young woman with dark hair and large blue eyes almost fell out of the room.

“Is that _your_ cat?” She asked, “He's been keeping me hostage in my own home for hours!” Adrien looked at the girl, and realized who was.

“Oh, you must be Marinette.” He said, and she looked at him with a puzzled expression, “The Landlord told me I lived across from you.” He said, and left out the part about her being strange, although from the impression he was getting now it was not far from the truth.

“That's me, yes.” Marinette said, “I'm Marinette, and you are?”

“I'm Adrien.” He held out his hand, but she backed away, “Could you get rid of the cat first if you're going to shake my hand?” She asked, and Adrien knelt down, putting Plagg on the ground, closing him into the apartment.

“Don't like cats?” He shook her hand as she shook her head.

“Allergic. _Very_ allergic.” She sniffed, as if to prove her ailment, and Adrien nodded, thinking about her obsession with bugs.

“I found a ladybug in my kitchen today.” He said, “Was it yours?”

“Probably.” Marinette said, and closed the door to her apartment behind her, stepping fully into the hall. “You didn't kill it, did you?” She says this with a nervous expression, and Adrien smiled, happy that he could answer,

“No, I let it out the window.” He saw her smile and nod her head slightly, as though she approved.

“Well I have to be going.” She said, “But it was nice to meet you.” She turned away and heading for the elevator, a duffle bag slung over her shoulder. She was odd yes, but it was the kind of odd that made him want to get to know her better. He smiled as he opened the door to his apartment again, finding Plagg watching him from the floor. He laughed, and shook his head at the cat who had been keeping Marinette hostage in her own apartment, and went to the counter, almost expecting to find another ladybug waiting for him.

 

 


	2. The Cat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, I have my finals today, so after this I should be able to update more often, as I will be on winter break for a while. Hope you enjoy!

There was a cat outside her apartment. Inquisitive and black, it sat in front of her door, looking up at it. Marinette Dupain-Cheng hated cats. She was just as about allergic to them as you could get, and even as she watched the small furry creature through the peephole on her door, she tried to use the power of positive thinking that never ever worked to get it to leave. She didn't have a whole lot of time and she was going to be late as it was. She looked at the clock on the wall, it was already four in the afternoon. She sighed and went to her door, looking out at the cat and rolling her eyes. It was pathetic that a cat could keep her in her apartment, but she hated them, feared them, and was extremely allergic.

After Marinette looked out again and decided that the cat had no intention of moving, she went to her bugs, smiling at them. Bugs were better than cats anyway. She looked into the large glass enclorure that housed her favorite. Tikki wasn't a bug per say, but an arachnid. She had had the giant tarantula since college, almost two years, and she was her favorite of all the pets she kept in her apartment. She loved the butterflies, and the ladybugs most of all, but Tikki was her favorite of them all. She picked up her pet and let her walk over her arm, smiling at the tarantula she had bought her self.

She walked around her apartment for a while, just wasting time and trying to find something to do, when she looked out the peephole again, and found that the cat had moved slightly. It was still sitting in front of her door and was preventing her from getting out, but now it had moved slightly to the left. She sighed and tried to come up with a plan that would get the cat away from her door. She looked around and went to the little closet where she kept linens and her broom. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door and swung the broom around, hoping that the cat would leave.

Much to her relief, the car ran off down the hall. Marinette laughed in triumph, before running back into her apartment to grab her shoes and bag. She tied the laces as fast as she could, and pulled her bag over her head, letting it rest on her shoulder. But it wasn't fast enough. She opened the door and found the cat sitting back where it had been moments before. Marinette slammed the door and fell against it, sliding to the floor.

“Stupid cat.” She mumbled to herself and crossed her arms over her chest. _Whose cat is that anyway?_ She thought to herself. She knew most of the people on the floor, but none of them had black cats. She looked at the clock on the wall. 4:15. This was going to be a long afternoon. She could sit and do her work from the night before. She got up off the wall, dropping her bag and her coat at the door, not bothering to pick them up, and went into the small room that served as both her living room and studio. It was small, but it worked for her, as it had her sewing machine, and her patterns, everything she needed for her job as a costume designer. It wasn't the best job in the world, but she made a pretty decent living doing freelance jobs for local theaters. She pulled up her email, and looked at the requests she had from the past week, seeing that there were a couple of dresses that needed to be tailored. She looked at her screen and sighed. She loved doing costumes, but she was already so late to meet her best friend for their weekly “coffee catch up” as they called it, she couldn't think. She quickly replied to the requests and sketched out a few patterns, before going back to her door, and seeing that the cat was still there. She let her head fall against the door and let out a defeated sigh. She looked back at her clock, it was now almost 5:00PM, and Alya would be waiting by now.

Marinette rubbed her eyes with her hands and was about to give up, when she heard a voice coming from the hall. She looked out the peephole so quickly she almost hit her nose, and saw someone standing beside the cat.

“How on earth did you get out here?” He asked the cat, and Marinette swung the door open, pointing at the black furry thing that had been keeping her in the apartment.

“Is that your cat?” She knew she was being too loud, but she really wanted to just go and see Alya.

“Oh, you must be Marinette.” He said. Marinette's eyes widened, _how did he know her name?_

“The landlord told me I lived across from you.” _Oh_. She thought to herself. She talked with the man for a few minutes, who it turned out was named Adrien, and then hurried down the hall and towards the elevator, duffle bag slung over her shoulder. She went quicker than usual, sending Alya a quick text to tell her she was running late, and made it to the café only fifteen minutes later than usual. Alya had already ordered her the cappuccino that she always got, and it was sitting at her place when she walked in.

“You would not believe what happened to me today.” Marinette told her friend, “Someone finally moved into that apartment across from me, and they have a cat.” Alya almost choked on her drink.

“A cat?” She said, “I thought you could handle them now.”

“I guess I was wrong.” Marinette said, and picked up her drink, letting the warmth seep into her hands. It was cold for September, and she was grateful for the heat of the cup.

“So who moved in?” Alya asked, “Some cat lady?”

“No.” Marinette said, “Young guy, cute.”

“To bad he has a cat.” Alya said, and Marinette nodded.

“Right because I would be able to handle a relationship with anyone.”

“You are too much.” Alya said, laughing, and Marinette gave her a wink.

“How was your day?” She asked, “Any updates on the elusive LB?”

“No.” Alya said, sighing, “I thought there would be, but no one checked in any new stuff today.”

“That's a shame.” Marinette said, “How is the website doing?”

“It's doing really well.” Alya smiled, “We get so many pictures of LB's work because of it, it's going to make finding her so much easier.” The friends talked for a while longer, making plans for the weekend, and then to meet up the next week. Marinette walked home, taking her time as the sun set, loving the cold air on her cheeks.

As she made it back to her apartment, she couldn't help but stop in front of Adrien's for a moment, staring at the door. _He_ was _cute_ , she thought, but then shook her head and opened the door to her apartment. She was too busy for anything other than work for a while. She loved costume design, and taking care of her bugs. They were all she needed.

She went to bed that night with a book on fashion on her lap, still wearing her clothes from the day before she fell asleep, the book falling to the floor, and her blankets falling off the edge of the bed. She didn't sleep well, and kept waking up. She felt guilty that Alya didn't have anything new for her website, and she got up, changing first into comfier clothes before going into her studio and pulling out a sketch book. She felt her hair and not surprising was the fact that a pencil resided in it. She pulled it out and let her hair fall around her shoulders, rubbing her eyes and looking at the blank paper in front of her. She knew exactly what she was going to draw.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time we'll be back in Adrien's world!


	3. Day Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since I'm home for a while, I'll be able to write more, and therefore, I'll be updating more. Hope you enjoy!

Adrien woke up with a furry face looking at him, and he smiled.

“Good morning Plagg.” He said, and scratched the cat behind his ears, listening to the sound of him purring while he yawned, eventually stretching and getting out of bed, heading for the kitchen where both of them would eat breakfast. He made sure to feed Plagg first, as the cat would not stop bothering him until he was fed. He put the bowl on the counter and sat to eat his cereal. He pulled out his computer and looked at his email, before hearing his phone going off.

Pulling it out, he saw that he had a new text from his best friend, Nino. _How's the new job going?_ It read. Adrien put his spoon in his mouth, holding it there while he quickly wrote back, _Good! You gotta come see my apartment._ He continued to eat, and looked at the reply he got from Nino a few moments later, _I'll come by tomorrow night. Text me the address_. Adrien quickly texted his friend his new address and finished breakfast, watching Plagg continue to eat.

He got ready for work quickly and headed out the door, looking over to the closed door across the hall that housed Marinette. He listened for a moment, and thought he heard her talking to someone, but it passed quickly and he headed for the elevator, whistling quietly as he went.

By the time he made it to the building he now worked at, he was already thinking of all the tings he had to tell Nino about what had happened since he moved into his new apartment. He was so intent on this thought, that he barely noticed when he ran into someone.

“I'm so sorry!” He said as he helped her pick up the papers that had scattered, “I wasn't paying attention.”

“Neither was I.” She said, and smiled, “I haven't seen you around, are you Iva's new assistant?”

“That's me.” Adrien said and handed her back the papers. He glanced at them, pictures of graffiti. “Are you Alya?”

“Alya Césaire, that's me.” She put some of the papers under her arm and held her hand out, giving him a firm handshake.

“Iva was telling me about the website you run.” Adrien said as he followed her down the hall, “The one that follows LB and her artwork.”

“Yeah, I'm pretty proud of it.” Alya said, “It's become my child.” She laughed and turned to Adrien, “My best friend came up with that nickname.”

“I think she's right.” Adrien said as they came to the small office that Alya worked out of. “I'm sorry again about running into you.”

“Don't think anything of it.” Alya said as she sat behind her desk. Adrien looked around the room for a moment and saw a picture on the wall. He narrowed his eyes at it, and recognized the person in the picture. Her hair was a little shorter, and she was making a weird face, but there was no doubt in his mind that it was Marinette.

“How do you know Marinette?” He asked, and Alya looked up at him as though he had asked her something overtly obvious.

“She's my best friend, how do _you_ know Marinette?”

“I just moved in across the hall from her.” Adrien watched as Alya seemed to put the pieces together.

“You're the guy with the cat!” She said, and started laughing. “Marinette told me that someone with a cat had just moved in.”

“That's me.” Adrien said a little sheepishly, “How long have you known her?”

“We've been best friends since we were in high school.” Alya said, “She's the best.”

“She seems like it.” Adrien looked back at the picture for a moment, before heading up to Iva's office for the day.

As soon as he was out of sight, Alya pulled out her phone and sent her friend a quick text, _Just met cat boy, he's cute!_ She sat her phone down and got to work, writing a post for the website, saying she was still looking for new graffiti, but that the mysterious LB had been quiet for the past few days. When she finished her phone went off, and she saw the text from Marinette, _Too bad he has a cat_. Alya rolled her eyes and decided she would respond later, as she wasn't in the mood to comfort her friend over her weird fear of cats. Alya had seen her with cats before, and while she was allergic, there were some pretty powerful meds out there to counter it. She just hated cats. As Alya worked on her website, and responded to fanmail, Adrien was finding out that working as the assistant of Iva Moreau was harder than he thought it would be. Adrien made it through the day on pure luck alone, as he had almost no idea what he was doing. But Iva was patient, and by the end of the day he had most of his work sorted out.

He rode the train home and almost fell asleep, tired from the day of learning his new job. He thought about Alya, and how she and Marinette were best friends. It was odd, and coincidental that he had moved in across from her, and as he unlocked his apartment door, he couldn't help but look over at the door again, before opening his own and heading inside.

It was cold, and Adrien cursed himself for forgetting to turn the heat back on before he left. As soon as he closed the door he felt Plagg at his ankles.

“I know you're hungry buddy.” He said, and bent down to pick up the cat. Plagg purred as Adrien carried him to the kitchen counter where he turned on the light and got him some dinner.

He took off his coat but replaced it with a sweatshirt, as he turned the heat on, trying to find a good middle ground that he could leave it at. He watched Plagg eat and looked at the clock. It was barely five thirty but he was hungry too. He looked around and realized that since the move he hadn't gone properly grocery shopping and barely had anything to eat in the apartment.

Looking around he started to compile a list of things that he would need, writing it down and deciding that he wanted to eat. When he completed the list it was almost six, but he knew that if he didn't go he would be eating macaroni and cheese for the rest of the week. He bundled back up and headed out into the cold, walking quickly towards the small grocery store that stood on the corner. It took him a while to find everything he wanted, as he was new to the neighborhood, but soon he had a completed list and a full cart.

He checked out and started walking back to the apartment with a few bags hanging off his arms, nose red and and head clear from the cold as he made it back. He put them down as soon as he got into the elevator, and leaned on the wall, looking at his own blurry reflection as he waits for the fifth floor. He hums to himself while he waits and picks up his bags, walking down the hall towards his apartment. His hands are cold from holding the groceries and it takes him a moment to find his keys. He unlocked the door and opened it, at the same moment that the door across the hall opened as well.

“Marinette!” Adrien said as she came into the hall, “How are you today?” He asked, smiling at her as she closed the door to her apartment. She was carrying a duffle bag that was slung over her shoulder, dressed in dark colors.

“Good. Yourself?” She said, and started walking down the hall.

“I'm good, I met Alya today.” He said, and she turned to him, smiling, “She's great, I can see why you're best friends.”

“Alya is one of a kind.” Marinette said, and she turned back down the hall and started walking even faster away from Adrien. He turned back to his apartment and set about making himself dinner.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so three chapters posted, fourteen to go! I'm also working on another fic at the moment as well. Once this one is done I'll start posting that one.


	4. Graffiti

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finals are done and I am free! So enjoy chapter four!

_That was close_ , Marinette thought as she made it into the elevator. She didn't like having to practically run away from Adrien, but she hadn't been able to give Alya anything for a few days, and she was feeling guilty. She looked at some of her old sketches, and decided which she was going to perfect tonight. She was getting faster at painting more intricate designs, and the new stencils she had made were perfect for making edged lines with a spray paint can.

She roamed the streets for a while, before going to the spot she had picked out, waiting until most of the city had gone to sleep before picking a spot to leave her next work of art. She sat on the ground for a few moments, taking out cans of spray paint, and then pulled on her mask, covering most of her face and keeping the fumes of the paint away from her nose. _He goes nothing_ , she thought and started to paint. She loved the way that she could transform a wall of concrete with color. She loved the way that she could leave little hints about who she was for her best friend within the colors, taking out a can of red and shaking it, picking up a stencil and beginning her pattern. This one was more ladybug oriented than usual, but she thought she should throw something good at Alya to make up for the lack of paint in the past week.

Marinette worked for over an hour, finishing her painting in one go as the cold night and the dark helped her. By the time she finished she was yawning, and she pulled her mask off. She breathed in the cold night air and sighed, using the small light on her phone to admire her handiwork. She didn't dare stay too long though, as she knew that eventually someone would walk by. She packed up her cans and headed for her apartment, going as quickly and quietly as she could. As soon as she got back she fell asleep, leaving her bag by the door and falling into bed still wearing the black that she wore when she painted.

The next morning Marinette woke up late, sighing as she looked at the clock, but curious to know if Alya had found her art yet. She rolled over and pulled her laptop up from the floor and opened it, squinting at the light, as she wasn't quite ready for it yet. She opened up Alya's website, and smiled. The front page was covered in pictures of the painting she had done the night before. She scrolled through some of them and read some of the comments. Some said things like _Great find Alya! Keep up the good work!_ While others focused more on Marinetter herself and said _Why did it take so long for the next paining?_

“Why don't they understand that I have a life?” Marinette said under her breath, shaking her head as she closed the computer and stretched, yawning as she walked into the kitchen, pulling from the cabinets not only coffee, but food for all her bugs. She hadn't fed them since the day before, and she knew they would all be in need. She carefully gave them all the proper food they needed, getting to Tikki last, and letting her crawl up onto her arm, smiling at her.

“How are you this morning girl?” She asked, holding the tarantula in her palm. She looked up at the clock again and sighed. As much as she wanted to waste her morning with Tikki not thinking about anything, she knew that at some point she had to start the costumes she had promised, putting Tikki back before heading for her sewing room.

At the office of Iva Moreau however, Adrien was following Alya around, who had not stopped talking about the new LB painting since she got into work.

“Just look at the colors! It's classic LB!” She was holding a printed color copy in front of her, sighing happily as she walked from Iva's office to her own, Adrien following behind.

“What do the fans think of it?” He asked as he sat across from her, “You have a comments section on your website as well as a place where people can submit their own pictures that they think might be LB.”

“Yeah, but a lot of that stuff is just fakes. Not everything that gets sent in is LB, and it's pretty easy to tell which stuff isn't hers.” Alya turned her computer a bit, giving Adrien a good look at a few pictures. “This one is LB.” She said, and pointed to a beautiful painting of a flower, “And this one is not.” Adrien looked at it, and while it did look similar to the one by LB, he could tell they were different. “LB uses some kind of stencil, and a kind of paint that dries quickly. See all the straight lines? You can't do that with regular paint.” Alya turned her computer back, having made her point, and Adrien nodded.

“Are you really trying to figure out who this person is or just trying to keep a record of their work?” He asked her, leaning back in the chair.

“A little bit of both really.” Alya said, “I just started this website a little while ago, and I don't want to burn out too quickly. Right now I mostly focus on making sure that people can recognize LB's work from other artists, and once I have another secure job here, I'll amp up the search for who this person is. That way, if I find out, I won't be in danger of losing my job.”

“There's so much more involved in this than I thought there would be.” Adrien said, “It's like you're manipulating the outcome so you always have something to do.”

“That's exactly what I'm doing.” Alya said, and Adrien left, heading back up to the office that Iva was expecting him back to at any moment.

As the day wore on Adrien did as Iva asked, and did better than he had the day before, excited that it was finally friday, and Nino was coming over to see his new apartment. He thought about what they would end up talking about throughout the rest of the day, and before he knew it work was over. He went home and cleaned up a little bit, feeding Plagg and ordering pizza. When Nino arrived, Adrien showed him around the small apartment, before they sat on the couch, eating pizza and flipping through channels as they talked.

“So you like it here?” Nino asked, “It seems too quiet for someone like you.” But Adrien shook his head.

“I like the quiet, and I like where it is.” He thought of Marinette across the hall, and his eyes flicked to the door for a moment, “I like the people too.” She said, and Nino laughed.

“You mean that girl across the hall?” Adrien smiled and picked up another piece of pizza.

“That's the one.”

“Didn't you say she was weird?” Nino said, picking up his drink for a moment and taking a sip, “Like, _really_ weird?”

“She's pretty out there, but she's best friends with someone who I work with, and she's interesting in her own way.”

“I'll have to meet her sometime.” The two friends talked for a while longer and eventually Nino went home, and Adrien cleaned up the pizza that was leftover, and went to bed, laying down and looking up at the ceiling for a few minutes, unable to fall asleep. As he tried to sleep, he heard a noise coming from outside. Getting up slowly he went to the peephole in his door, looking out to the hallway. He saw nothing, but could hear someone walking away. He didn't dare open the door, but could hear something clinking as the person retreated down the hall.

Going back to bed, he thought about what it could be, finding Plagg on his bed. He pet his cat for a while, listening to him purr for a few moments before trying to fall asleep again. It was sometime before he finally managed to doze off, the sound of whatever was clinking still in his head as he thought about who it could have been. Other than Marinette, he didn't know anyone else in the hallway, having been there for only a week and a half, he hadn't had the chance to meet anyone else yet. But he put those thoughts out of his head and eventually fell asleep.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since I have more time I'll be writing more, that being said I am working on a few different pieces at the same time, and might start posting another story at the same time I'm writing this one. But we'll see.


	5. Locked Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, here's another chapter! Hope you enjoy!

It had been almost three weeks since Adrien started at his new job, and he was doing well. Iva no longer had to tell him the kind of work she expected, and he could make it all the way to lunch without Alya having to help him with anything. He was becoming more confident in his routine, and that only made it worse when he got back to his apartment and reached for his keys, finding them missing.

“Oh no...” He said to himself, remembering that he had left them on the counter that morning. He thought for a moment, and tried to remember if he had given Nino a spare yet, but he hadn't, as he only had the one key. He leaned forward, pressing his head to the door and sighing. But Adrien Agreste would not be defeated so easily. He pulled out his phone and called the landlord, telling him what had happened.

“Happens all the time.” The landlord said, “I'm driving back soon, but it'll be probably two hours before I can get to you.”

“That's fine.” Adrien said, and smiled as he hung up, looking at his watch. It was already almost 5:30. He would have to eat soon, and if the landlord wasn't coming back for a few hours, he had some time to kill.

“Hey!” He heard a voice as he put his phone away, turning to find Marinette standing in the hall. She was holding a few grocery bags, and a take out bag from a local deli that Adrien recognized.

“Marinette.” Adrien said and nodded to her. He watched her as she pulled out her keys and went for the door.

“Is there a reason you're just standing outside?” She eventually asked, and Adrien sighed.

“I got locked out.” He said, and Marinette mouthed _oh_ and nodded.

“Happened to me four times the first week I lived here.” She said, and put her keys away, leaning back against her door, mirroring Adrien's posture. “The landlord let me have a few spares of the key after that. So Alya has one, and so does one of the stairwells, but I'll never tell which.” She winked and Adrien laughed.

“I haven't had a chance to ask yet.” He said, “But I bet it would come in handy.” Marinette pulled away from her door and moved across to where Adrien was, leaning against the wall beside him.

“Wnat some company?” She asked softly, and Adrien nodded, sliding to the floor. Marinette was more graceful and instead sat down slowly, leaning on the wall, and pulling to her the bag from the deli.

“Want something to eat?” She asked, “I'm sure you could use it.” She pulled a sandwich out of the bag and began to unwrap it, Adrien trying to protest, but she handed him half, and began to eat. He looked down at it. Chicken and pesto. His favorite. He sighed and leaned back, taking a bite and closing his eyes. Despite the cold it was still warm on the inside, and they ate together in silence, Marinette eventually pulling out a small bag of chips that came with the meal and a small container of soup.

“You can have the chips, but I'm keeping the soup for myself.” She said. Adrien thanked her again and she opened the soup, blowing on it softly before starting to drink it right from the container. Adrien watched her for a moment, fascinated by her actions, smiling as she looked up at him.

“Why are you drinking it?” He asked, “Didn't you grab a spoon?” She shook her head, “Then why not go into your apartment and get one.”

“I'm already drinking it, might as well continue.” She said, but Adrien could tell from her reaction that something else was going on. But he didn't press the matter and soon they slipped back into the easy conversation that they had been having moments before.

“If I was stuck on a desert island.” She began, “I would bring something to draw with, something to draw on, and Tikki.”

“Tikki?” Adrien asked, “A pet?”

“Tarantula.” Marinette said, causing Adrien to look up at her.

“You have a tarantula?”

“Being allergic to fur kind of limits my options, and they're easier than a lot of lizards and turtles. Plus super cuddly.” Adrien laughed, but quickly put his hand on her arm when she looked hurt.

“I'm sorry.” He said, “But I've never heard someone call a spider cuddly before.” It was silent for a moment, until Adrien said, “If I was on a desert island, I would bring a camera, something to read, and Plagg. Can't leave without Plagg.” Marinette narrowed her eyes at the mention of the cat and Adrien smiled, “I'm sorry he held you hostage in your apartment for so long.”

“It's not his fault I'm so allergic and terrified.” She said, and pulled her knees up to her chin.

“Wait.” Adrien said, “You're scared of cats too?”

“Yes.” Her voice was very small, and Adrien knew that this would not be a good time to laugh at her. Instead he simply nodded, and sighed.

“When I was younger I was terrified of heights. It was so bad I could barely look out windows. But then I started slowly, working my way up to bigger heights, and eventually got used to it.”

“I would love to be able to do that.” Marinette said, “But being allergic to cats as well has made it hard. You probably didn't start sneezing every time you looked out a window.”

“Fair enough.” Adrien said, and Marinette closed her eyes. They sat until the landlord came, talking about their lives and their pasts, telling stories about their friends, Adrien telling Marinette all about the crazy things that he and Nino would do together, Marinette doing the same but with the stories of her time with Alya.

“Alya seems to work really hard.” Adrien said of the girl he worked with, “She seems to be really good at what she does too.”

“She is.” Marinette said, “I hope someday she finds LB.”

“Me too.” Adrien said, “I think it would really make her fans happy.” They were quiet for a few minutes after that, Marinette humming to herself as Adrien cleaned up the empty food containers, telling her it was the least he could do after she had given him some. When the landlord did finally show up, Marinette was sad to see Adrien disappear into his apartment. She knew he had other things to do, but she had enjoyed talking to him. But just before she could finally step into her own apartment, Adrien's head poked out of his door, smiling when he saw that she was still standing in the hallway.

“I'm glad I caught you.” He said, and stepped out into the hall. “Let me take you out for lunch this weekend.” He said, “You sat with me for so long, and gave me some of your dinner, I feel like I have to do something,” He thought for a moment, “We can go to the deli if you want, or maybe somewhere else? I don't know a whole lot of places in the neighborhood yet.”

“The deli sounds great.” Marinette said, smiling at him, “I'm free saturday, want to meet out here around one?”

“That sounds great.” Adrien said, and went back into his apartment, talking to Plagg as he went. Marinette looked around, making sure that no one else was around and finally opened the door to her apartment. It was messier than usual, but the real reason she hadn't invited Adrien into her place was the paint cans. Her kitchen counter, table, and even the floor were covered in paint cans. She had been ordering paint lately, and it had all come in on the same order, making her whole apartment look like an art supplies store. She would have invited him in if it didn't mean explaining why she had so much paint, while trying to convince him that she was not in fact LB when she totally was.

She looked forward to their lunch however, but as much as she wanted to call it a date she knew that was optimistic. Instead she called it a 'he owes me one' lunch. When she told Alya about it, Alya was more excited than Marinette was, texting her more exclamation points than actual letters, and making Marinette roll her eyes as she talked about how romantic it was. _He's just taking me out to thank me for sitting with him_. Marinette wrote back. To which Alya quickly replied, _I know that, but he's grateful. Why did you sit with him that whole time?_ A question Marinette didn't really have an answer to.

She went to bed that night thinking of her not date with Adrien, and dreamed of herself on a desert island, drawing and holding Tikki while Adrien sat off to the side with his cat, taking pictures of the scenery. It struck her in the morning how little he had talked about himself, and how little she knew about him. She knew where he was from, and that he wasn't close with his father, and she knew all about Nino, but as she thought about it she knew more about Nino now than she did about Adrien. She would have to ask him more questions on Saturday, that she was sure of.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be away for a little while starting on the 25th, but it won't be for more than a week. I'll try to update but I'm not making any promises. I do however want to post at least two or three more times before I leave.


	6. Crush

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, here we are again! Enjoy another chapter!

“You have to wear that super cute sweater you have, you always wear that on first dates.”

“It's not a date.” It was Saturday morning, and after spending most of her Friday night unable to decide on something to wear she had decided to bring in Alya who always knew what she should wear.

“Yeah, but it could turn into one, you don't know what he has planned for after you get lunch.” She smiled and threw the blue sweater at her friend, “It goes with your eyes now put it on.” Marinette mumbled to herself as she pulled it on, and even she had to admit that it looked pretty great on her. She smiled at her reflection, and then turned to Alya.

“Perfect.” She said, “He's going to love it.” Marinette rolled her eyes as she felt the heat rise in her cheeks.

“This isn't a date.”

“You could make it a date.” Alya said and winked, leaning back on Marinette's bed and sighing, “So we'll find you a man, and then we'll find me a man.”

“The last one didn't stick?” Marinette asked, used to her friend's pattern.

“Nope. But here's hoping the next one does.” Alya fell back completely onto Marinette's bed and sighed, “Someday I'll meet someone who can keep up with me.”

The two girls talked for a while longer while Marinette picked at her sweater, nervously readjusting it while waiting for Adrien. She knew it wasn't a date but she was still excited. She let her eyes wander towards his apartment for a few moments, thinking about what he was doing to get ready.

His movements weren't too different from her own, nervously getting ready and making sure to get as much of the cat hair off he could, hoping it was enough, and that she wouldn't start sneezing. Most of his clothes didn't have cat hair on them, but his nicer shirts that he didn't wear as often had become a sort of nest for Plagg who loved to curl up in them. He looked in the mirror and messed with his hair a bit, his eyes darting to the clock every now and again, checking to see what time it was. He waited until just before the time they had decided to meet before heading for the door, hoping to get there before she did.

When he stepped into the hall, he found Alya standing in front of the closed door that led to Marinette's. She smiled when she saw him and nodded, before heading off down the hall. Adrien didn't know what to expect, and he stood, holding his breath for a moment as the door opened again, Marinette coming into the hall. She smiled at him and pulled her scarf around her neck.

“Hi.” She said breathlessly. “Are you ready to go?” Adrien nodded, and soon the two of them were soon heading off down the hall for the elevator. Marinette rocked on her heels as they made it to the ground floor, and smiled at Adrien as he walked beside her towards the outside. Neither said a word until they were on the street, and then they only discussed where they were going.

“I said I would take you to the deli.” Adrien said, “But I'm up for anywhere really.” Marinette thought for a moment.

“There is a place a few blocks away that I've been dying to try.” She said, and soon she and Adrien were walking towards the small sandwich place that Marinette had heard so much about. They walked in and were happy to feel the warm air. Adrien helped Marinette with her coat and smiled as he sat across from her.

“So what does this place have?” He asked, and looked up at the board that had all the specials for the day.

“Everything. Now come on we have to order.” Marinette stood quickly, causing Adrien to laugh.

“Why didn't we just go straight to ordering?” He asked, and Marinette shrugged her shoulders.

“It's more fun to get settled first I guess.” She said, and walked up to the counter to order her sandwich. She smiled and turned to Adrien who ordered too, before sitting down with her at their table, watching the people coming and going from the small shop.

“How did you hear about this place?” He asked, “I didn't even notice that this was here.”

“It's close to Alya's.” Marinette said, “She comes here all the time and has been begging me to try it, but I never have. I thought we might as well.”

“A good idea.” Adrien said, and they were again silent for a moment while they waited for their lunch.

“How do you like working with Alya?” Marinette asked, determined to break the silence. She loved her best friend, but she also knew that Alya could be pushy and demanding when it came to her work, having overheard many phone conversations that Alya took regarding LB. Marinette couldn't help but feel a little bit bad about those, knowing that she was causing most of the torment in her friends life.

“Alya's great.” Adrien said, happy for something to talk about, “She's such a hard worker, and knows what she's doing. What do you do for work?” He asked.

“I make costumes for local theaters.” She said, “But my real dream is to be a designer for some big magazine.” She sighed as she thought about how amazing it would be if she could be a big name designer. Adrien picked up on this, and smiled at her.

“What kinds of costumes?” He asked, “Or just anything they need?”

“I do it all.” She said, “Although there has been a trend recently with Shakespeare plays. I don't know why but everyone and their sister is putting on a production of _A Midsummer Night's Dream_. I've made so many costumes for Titania in the past few weeks it's driving me crazy.”

“Do you ever go to the plays?” He asked next, “To see your costumes at work?”

“I've seen a couple.” She told him, “But I got bored of going to see the same shows over and over. Sometimes if it's something new I'll go, but other than that not much anymore. But if you ever need tickets to any show in the area let me know, and I can probably get them for you.”

“I'll hold you to that.” Adrien said, and looked up to find a waitress holding their food. She was short and cute, and smiled at Adrien.

“You enjoy.” She said, and winked at him. Marinette rolled her eyes to herself and picked up her sandwich, noticing however that Adrien didn't seem to care. They ate mostly in silence, commenting on how good it was, and that they would have to tell Alya that Marinette finally went and tried it.

“She's going to be thrilled I brought you here.” She said after they had finished eating.

“Why's that?” Adrien said as they got up. They walked to the door and went outside, squinting as the sunlight shone off the ice and snow that was on the ground. They walked slower back to the apartment building than they had to the restaurant, as though they didn't want their time together to end. Marinette watched the sidewalk as she and Adrien talked about whatever came to mind. But when Adrien stopped in front of the wall, Marinette smiled. It was one of her paintings. It was the closest she had ever been to the building she lived in. She's gone out in the rain and painted in the middle of the night, cold and wet she had worked through it, eventually going back to her room and falling asleep. She watched Adrien as he looked at the painting, completely awestruck.

“You like LB?” She asked, “Alya got you on board?” She laughed to herself for a moment, but silenced as she looked back at Adrien. He wasn't just looking at the paining, his eyes were moving, as though each little part was worth analyzing.

“It's amazing.” He whispered, “I love the paintings so much.” He shook his head, “I hope Alya finds whoever this person is someday so I can thank them.” Marinette wasn't able to talk for a moment, but she pulled herself out of her thoughts and eventually they were back at their apartments. After a slightly awkward goodbye, Marinette let herself into her apartment and closed the door, leaning on it and sighing. She smiled to herself, and closed her eyes. She knew that without a doubt, she had a major crush.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, since I leave on Sunday, this is the second to last update before I go on vacation. I'll try to update once or twice, but like I said before, I make no promises. There will definitely be an update on January 1st, as that's when I get back, regardless of how much I update while I'm gone. I'll update again on the 24th late, or early before I leave on the 25th.


	7. Paint

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last update until I go on vacation, I hope you enjoy!

Adrien was tired of white walls. He was tired of coming home to the empty walls that reminded him of the cold room he had as a child. He wanted a change. This was easier said than done however, as he didn't own the apartment he was renting. But he also knew that Marinette had talked about painting her apartment, and decided it was worth a shot to call the landlord and ask if he could repaint a new color.

“I'll paint it white again if I leave.” Adrien said, “I'm just getting tired of the walls.”

“You don't worry about painting it white again.” the land lord said, “Just paint it whatever color you want and we'll sort that out later.” Adrien thanked him and got off the phone, going straight for the paint samples he had optimistically picked up that day. He sent a quick text to Nino, asking if he was available that afternoon to help him paint, and starting tacking up the samples on the wall, looking at the different colors that would look good in his kitchen. It would take too much time to paint the entire apartment, and Adrien had decided that the kitchen and living area would be enough for now. Eventually picking out a light blue color for the kitchen, and a dark cream color for the living room. It hadn't taken him too long to pick colors, as he had been thinking about painting the apartment since he moved in. Putting on his coat, he headed for the door, leaving a treat out for Plagg before he went.

The air outside the building was cold, and Adrien could feel his cheeks burning in the frigid air. He started off down the street, taking out his phone every few minutes to make sure he was going in the right direction. He had to catch a train and head for the outer part of the city where larger stores were, but he was happy for the travel time. He sat and closed his eyes, letting the train rock him back and forth, as it moved. He had to keep himself from falling asleep, and making sure to get off at the right stop, rubbing his eyes as he met the sunlight once again.

It wasn't too long before he was standing at a cash register and paying for the gallons of paint, before checking his phone. One text from Nino. _Sorry, got plans, good luck!_ Was all it said. Adrien sighed. There was no way he was going to be able to paint everything on his own. He didn't have a lot of friends, and Nino pretty much made up the entire list of people he was willing to ask to help. But as he entered his apartment, he looked over at the door across the hall. He wondered if she would help him. _Worth a shot_ , he said to himself as he knocked on the door. A few moments later a stocking footed Marinette opened the door.

“Hi.” She said, and smiled, “What brings you here?”

“Paining.” Adrien said, and for a moment Marinette panicked. “I'm painting my apartment and I need help.” She tried not to look too relieved, but nodded.

“And you want help, yeah I'm not doing anything, just let me change into some paint clothes.” Adrien went back to his apartment and began pulling furniture from the walls, and draping over the paint cloth that he had gotten from the landlord on his way back. A few minutes later, he had finished most of the prep work, and had started on tape.

Marinette on the other hand was looking for paint clothes. You would think as someone who painted as much as she did, she would have clothing that could get paint on it, but no. Most of her clothes were black, and occasionally had some red on it. But she needed something for helping Adrien, and eventually just put on an old tee shirt, and a pair of running shorts she found in the back of the closet. He had left his door unlocked for her and she let herself in, finding him in the kitchen, pulling the chairs and the small table into the living area. She pulled her hair up into a bun and smiled as she picked up a pencil off Adrien's counter and stuck it in her hair. She looked around, and noticed that there was no cat hair. Marinette had taken a pill or two extra before she ventured into the apartment, but found that her allergies didn't act up as badly as she thought they would as she looked around the corner for Adrien.

His apartment was set up like hers, but without all of the paint cans that she had laying around.

“Okay, I got rollers, and I'm almost done taping this room.” Adrien said as he came around the corner. Marinette smiled and took the roller from him, kneeling down to open up the blue color that sat on the floor.

“Bluebell.” She said, reading the name of the color, “Pretty.” She pried the top off and poured some into the tray, using her finger to wipe the paint off the side of the can. “I'm going to get paint all over anyway.” She said as Adrien looked at her with a strange look. In response he dipped his finger in the paint and touched her nose, laughing as she tried to wipe it off.

“You're just going to make it worse don't even try.” Marinette wanted to start throwing paint at him, but she knew that she would have _plenty_ of chances to get her revenge later. Instead she picked up her roller and went for the wall that Adrien was already painting. She started at the top and made long sweeps over the wall, smiling to herself. It had been a while since she had painted without a spray can and a time limit, and she took her time, sometimes just watching Adrien as she went. He had his hair swept back, and didn't even have to stand on his toes to reach the top of the wall. Marinette on the other hand had to leave the top to him, doing the trim along the bottom instead. She sat crossed legged while he painted above her. Marinette sighed to herself as they painted together, and looked up at him often.

All too soon they had finished the kitchen, and were waiting for the paint to dry. They sat together on the couch, on top of the paint cloth, talking about anything that came to mind.

“How much more of the apartment are you doing?” Marinette asked as Adrien sat down. He handed her a glass of water and sipped from his own.

“Just this room.” He said, and looked around at the while walls of the living room. “Maybe once I've been here a while I'll want to paint more.”

“How long is your lease?” Marinette was curious about this, as she was trying to buy her apartment from the landlord, and would be happier to do so if she knew Adrien was staying closeby.

“Two years, but I'll probably extend it. I love it here.” He winked at her, and Marinette quickly took a drink of water, focusing on drinking.

“Where's your cat?” She asked after a small silence. He had been absent from the afternoon, and while it was fine with her, she had been wondering.

“He's in my room. I knew that it would be better if you didn't see him.” Adrien said. “Plagg is a great cat, but he does love new people. I knew he would be all over you if he was out.”

They talked for a while longer, and then began to paint again, making quick work of the living room as they had found a method of work that seemed efficient for most of them. When they got close to finishing, Adrien started using more paint in order to cover more wall, but this backfired almost immediately as the paint began to drip on Marinette who was still sitting on the floor.

“Excuse me, but I did not sign up for this much paint being dripped into my hair!” She said, and flicked her paintbrush at him. It splattered a bit on his pants and he gasped in mock shock, shaking his head at her.

“You shouldn't have done that.” But she stood up and pressed the brush into his shirt. She laughed as he clutched at the already paint covered shirt, and took his roller in hand, starting at her stomach and rolling up her chest. Marinette couldn't believe how much paint was on her, and she went for the bucket, dipping her fingers in before going for his face, streaking it with color as he laughed and tried to duck away. He went for the paint but she grabbed it. So Adrien did the only thing that seemed sensible to him. He grabbed her. Marinette could feel her cheeks going red as he arms closed around her waist, pulling her against his chest, her hands clutching the can of paint. She stopped moving.

“No more paint for you!” He said as he spun her around, and Marinette couldn't help but giggle. They laughed together as he held her, before finally putting her down.

“I should probably go.” Marinette said soon, and Adrien nodded, but his forehead was creased, as though he was thinking.

“Do you want to go out sometime?” He asked eventually, looking up at her, still frowning slightly.

“Like we did before?” Marinette asked, “Like to the deli or something.”

“No.” He said, “I mean, if that's what you want, but I mean like a date.”

“Oh.” She said, and a smile spread across her lips, “Yeah, I'd love to.”

“Great, well...” He looked down at himself, “I'm going to get cleaned up, but I'll text you later and we can figure out a time and place.”

“Okay, great.” She said.

“Great.” She could tell he was nervous, and she headed for the door, biting her lip to keep from squealing, before making it to her apartment and laughing into her hands. She was going on a _real date_. She had to tell Alya right away.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be gone but still writing. I've almost finished the first few chapters of a longer fic, and I'll start posting that once I get back and have some more time on my hands.


	8. First Date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SURPRISE!

“You know you don't need to be so nervous.” Alya was sitting on Marinette's bed again, sighing as Marinette tried on clothes for her first official date with Adrien. “He knows your wardrobe, and he likes you. He asked you out while you had a pencil in your hair and were covered in paint for gods sake.”

“I know.” Marinette said, “But I still want to look nice.”

“You'll look nice no matter what.” Alya said, “Just pick something you like.”

“But I don't know where we're going.” Marinette said, throwing a dress on her bed, “I don't know if I should wear a dress, or jeans, or what.” She sighed and fell onto the bed beside Alya.

“Can't we just get married and be done with it?”

“No!” Alya said, and laughed, “We're not forty yet, and that was the deal. If we're both unmarried when we're forty then we'll get married.”

“I can wait.” Marinette said and Alya rolled her eyes.

“Tell you what, I'll tell him you're excited, and casually ask what he has planned for you.” She pulled out her phone and texted Adrien, hoping that he would reply quickly. They waited a few minutes until Alya's phone went off, and she picked it up.

“He's taking you to that really nice restaurant on the other side of the neighborhood.” Alya said, “Wear something nice.”

Adrien knew that Alya was with a panicking Marinette, and he wanted to kick himself for not telling her sooner where they were going. He knew she tended to get anxious, and while he had wanted to surprise her, she needed to know how to dress. He had seen her wear nice skirts one day, and beaten up sweaters with torn leggings the next. He looked down at his own outfit. Black pants with matching shoes, and a blue button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up. He smiled at his reflection, his hands in his pockets as he gave himself the pre first date pep talk that he reserved for girls that he really liked.

“You are Adrien, and you are going to make this an amazing night.” He gave the mirror a knowing look and then turned away, looking for the layers of coats that he knew he would need in the cold night air.

He went to the hallway a little while later after brushing his teeth and running a comb through his hair. Adrien looked around for a moment, but his eyes wanted to stay glued to Marinette's door. He had a feeling that Alya was there with her, and he wondered if she was going to make an appearance. He knew they were friends, but he hadn't seen them together that much. Both having hectic schedules that required them both to be up and about most of the time. He leaned back on his door and looked at his watch. He was still early, but he couldn't just sit in his apartment anymore.

Luckily, it seemed at Marinette was just as anxious as he was, as she and Alya appeared five minutes before they had originally intended.

“You're early.” Marinette said as soon as she opened the door. Alya smiled at Adrien as she walked down the hall, winking at him as she turned towards the elevator. Adrien turned back to Marinette and smiled.

“You're early too.” He said and she smiled.

“Let me just grab my coat, and then we can go.” She disappeared into her apartment for a few seconds, coming back with a thick scarf wrapped around her neck and a dark blue coat that reflected in her eyes. She smiled nervously and Adrien stepped forward, not quite sure what to do. Should he take her hand? _No it's cold, and that's too forward_ , he scolded himself, and instead simply stepped into line beside her as they waited for the elevator to come back up.

This time their conversation wasn't as awkward as it had been before. Adrien had picked out a nice restaurant a short train ride away, and they discussed the paint situation at Adrien's apartment, and then if Marinette's had any special colors. She laughed and he looked puzzled.

“My apartment changes color every few months.” She told him, “I repaint all the time.”

“Well, next time let me know and I'll cover you-I mean the walls in paint.” Marinette laughed and nudged his shoulder playfully. They were sitting side by side on the train, hands painfully close, sitting on their knees.

They made it to the restaurant and quickly ordered, continuing their conversation from their walk about tarantulas.

“I want to meet yours, what's her name again?” Adrien asked, “Mickey?”

“Tikki.” Marinette said and giggled, reaching for her water, “You can come meet her, she's always in the apartment. Unlike Plagg, she doesn't hold innocent costume designers hostage in their apartments.”

“I've never been in your apartment.” Adrien said, “That's weird, it seems like I see you all the time, but the last three times we've eaten together it's been in the hallway, my place, and the deli.” He said, listing them off on his fingers, “You a hoarder or something?”

“No.” Marinette said, _well just spray paint cans_ , “I guess I'm just not home a lot.”

“I'll say.” Adrien leaned back in his chair and shook his head, “You're busier than I am, and I can barely make it through the day. How do you make it look so easy?”

“Ever heard the phrase fake it till you make it?” Marinette said, “I'm still waiting to make it.”

“Well you're doing an excellent job pretending to be put together. I'd never know.” Marinette saluted him and took another sip of her water, looking around the restaurant. When their food arrived, they ate mostly in silence, occasionally remarking on what it tasted like, or what someone was wearing, exchanging nervous smiles throughout.

When they boarded the train home Marinette was smiling. She had been excited, but she had no idea she would be this happy. She watched the people on the train and saw a few other couples. This wasn't surprising as it was a Friday night, but she couldn't help but try to imagine her and Adrien someday being the couple across from her holding hands and talking quietly, or the pair sitting together, the woman reading while the man slept, his head in her lap. She turned to Adrien and saw that his eyes were focused on the couple across from them. His eyebrows knit together and he glared at their hands.

She couldn't help but giggle, and wish to herself that he would take her hand. But their stop came all too quickly, and back out into the cold they went, where it was too windy to hold hands anyway. Despite the cold, they both seemed to drag their feet as they got closer to the apartment building they both lived in. They were quieter now, settling into a silence that lasted until they were in the elevator.

“I had a really nice time tonight.” She said, “Thank you.”

“It was my pleasure.” Adrien said as the doors opened, “I hope it's not too much to ask you now if you'd want to go out again?”

“No?” Marinette said, “I think? Double negatives are not my friends.” She shook her head and Adrien laughed, “No, it's not too much, because I would love to go out with you again.” She thought it through, and looked up at him when she was finished, finding that he had moved closer to her.

“You are so cute.” He said, and finally took her hands, leaning closer to her. Marinette found her eyes closing of their own accord, her chin tilting up in anticipation. For a moment it doesn't seem like it's going to happen, but right as she begins to give up, he kisses her.

It's weird. But it's not her worst first kiss. She stands up on her toes a bit to press her lips against his, and his hands squeeze hers. It's not a very long kiss, or the most romantic, but when they break apart both are smiling.

“On that note.” Marinette said eventually, “I have a tarantula to feed.” She looked down at their still clasped hands and giggled softly. Adrien squeezed her fingers softly.

“I'll text you tomorrow.” He said, “About our next date.”

“How about we have dinner at my place?” She said, “You've never seen it before, and you wanted to, but if you don't want to then-” But Adrien stopped her.

“I would love to.” Adrien closed the door behind him and looked around. Everything was in order. He stood still for a moment, wondering if Marinette was doing the same thing. He hoped she was, and he took off his coat, humming softly as he turned on a few lights. It wasn't too late, so he decided to put on some sweats and watch TV. His phone sat on the table in front of him, and more than anything he wanted to text her. It didn't seem like there were enough hours in the day for him to see her enough. That it couldn't be possible that they had only had one real date considering how they had been acting around each other for weeks.

He looked at his phone again, “Screw it.” He mumbled to himself, and picked it up, sending Marinette a quick text asking what she was doing. The reply came in so fast Adrien had barely sat back on the couch. _Staring at my phone trying not to text you_ he reply said. He laughed and sent one back saying, _If you come over in pajamas then you can just talk to me_ and then the reply _You're on_.

It wasn't five minutes later there was a knock on his door. He opened it and found the small dark haired girl standing before him, hair knotted on the side of her head, old tee shirt and plaid pants hanging off her body as she walked in past him.

“What are we watching?” She asked and plopped down on the couch, smiling at Adrien as we walked back over, “And where's your cat?”

“He's in the guest room.” He said, remembering that he had moved all Plagg's things into the small room.

“Why?” Marinette asked.

“Wishful thinking.” Adrien replied and Marinette poked him in the side, laughing as he pulled a blanket from the back on the couch for her. She wrapped it around her legs and torso, pulling her arms out. She leaned on him and he put his arm around her, comfortably sitting back. _This,_ He thought to himself as they sat together, _I want more of this_.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I had so much fun writing this chapter, I didn't have the heart to make you wait all week, and I had some down time while my sister was at IMG today, so I got a little ahead on writing. I hope you enjoyed, and I'll be back in 2017.


	9. Breakfast

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy 2017 everyone! Hope you enjoy chapter nine!

Marinette watched Adrien for a few moments after he fell asleep. She could tell when it happened, his arm around her shoulders becoming more relaxed, and his breathing deeper. She stared at his face and smiled, before kissing his cheek and quietly getting up, going home for the night. She checked on all her bugs one last time, and looked at the clock. Barely two. Alya would still be up, and eager to know how the date went. She sent her a text and plugged in her phone for the night, leaving it in the kitchen so whatever time Alya decided to reply, it wouldn't wake her up at an ungodly hour.

When Adrien woke up the next morning he wasn't surprised to find Marinette gone. He got up and went to the kitchen, stretching his hands over his head and going to let Plagg out of the guest room. He smiled down at the cat and fed him on the kitchen counter as usual, getting out his own breakfast and plugging in his phone, as it had died the night before while they slept. There was no word from Marinette, but that was to be expected. She was on her own schedule and probably had to work even though it was the weekend. He thought about how she would recount the weekend to Alya, as he knew she would, and wondered if Alya would try to talk to him during the week. He was glad they were such good friends, as he hadn't heard either of them talk about anyone else they were friends with. He thought about Nino, and how he really only had him, and now Alya and Marinette. He supposed it was enough, and ate his breakfast with a smile on his face.

Across the hall, Marinette was in overdrive. She hadn't started working on the new designs for one of the local theaters, and she hadn't been out and about as the elusive LB in a while either. She knew she had to start at least one of those things, but after half an hour of laying upside down on the couch trying to jumpstart her ideas, she still had nothing. All she could think about was Adrien, and how relaxed she had felt in his arms. She closed her eyes and smiled to herself, thinking about their kiss from the night before. _That_ , she said to herself, _that's what I want_.

That thought of Adrien was what prompted Marinette to, instead of working on costumes or a new painting, she spent most of her morning cleaning her apartment, thinking about what she would cook for him. She wanted to impress him, but she also knew that no matter what she made him, at some point they would end up on her couch watching a movie. She decided that she wouldn't make anything with onions or garlic. She wanted to be able to kiss him. Marinette laughed to herself and continued to walk around the apartment, putting all of her paint cans in the back corner of her closet, keeping it hidden as much as she could like she did whenever Alya was at her house. Which made her think, Alya would be dying to know how her date with Adrien went the night before. She quickly texted her and got to work on costumes, deciding that she would just wing whatever she painted that night.

A few weeks went by and Marinette and Adrien continued to go out, leaving their doors unlocked more than they should have for the other one to get in. Adrien had seen Alya, and because Marinette was so busy, he found himself telling Alya more about his new relationship with Marinette than it seemed Marinette did. But he didn't mind it. He loved talking about her, and any chance he got to discuss how much he liked spending time with her, he would take.

One Friday morning however, after a particularly romantic date wit h Marinette, he was surprised when Alya didn't mention it. He asked her about it of course, and she laughed.

“She texted me this morning, and we're going out for breakfast tomorrow, so whatever I don't know about last night I don't want to hear until she tells me.” She said, and Adrien couldn't help but laugh.

“Well be ready.” He winked at Alya and went back to his office.

When Marinette met with Alya the next morning, Alya could barely contain herself as she hugged her best friend, and sat down with her, anxious to hear all about the date she had had with Adrien.

“Well.” Marinette began, taking a sip of her coffee, “We had dinner at his place, it's always more fun when we eat in than when we go out.”

“Makes sense.” Alya said, picking up her fork, “What did you guys have?”

“We got sandwiches from the deli earlier and ate them on his couch and watching a movie.”

“God how did you just skip over all of the awkward early stages of dating and go straight to insufferably domestic?” Alya shoved a piece of waffle in her mouth and shook her head, “It's sickening really.” But Marinette only smiled and kept going.

“After we ate we watched the rest of the movie all curled up together.” She couldn't help but giggle a little bit, “He almost fell asleep and it was super cute.”

“Adorable.” Alya said, and then, getting right to the point, “Have you slept with him yet?” Marinette almost choked on her coffee and looked around to see if anyone else had heard.

“Alya, you can't just say things like that in public.”

“I'll take that as a no.” Alya said, “But come on, it's going to happen.”

“One can only hope.” Marinette said and winked at her friend.

“You just need to seduce him in the 'Marinette Way' and he'll be hooked.”

“What does that even mean?” She laughed as Alya continued.

“It means instead of some kind of lacy underwear you just put on a tee shirt and shorts, maybe even a pencil in your hair for good measure. He likes that side of you remember, and just don't be nervous, I know how you like to overthink things.”

“I know.” Marinette said, “But I don't know how to do that. It's been a while you know that.”

“I do know that, but I also know I've never seen you this happy with anyone _ever_.” She said, “Adrien is different.”

“I know.” Marinette said, “That's what scares me.”

“What do you mean?” Alya frowned and took another bite of her waffle, “Why does it scare you?”

“With everyone else I've dated, it's been easy to look past them. To see myself in the future after we break up.” She looked up from her coffee, “But with Adrien? I know it's been like, a month but this doesn't seem as temporary.” She sighed, “It's scares me.”

“Whatever happens I know you'll be fine.” Alya said eventually, “I've seen you bounce back. But let me tell you something about the past few weeks. You've been busy, so he comes to my office every morning and talks about you.”

“Really?” Marinette could feel her face flushing, “Every morning?”

“Without fail.” Alya said, “He would come and tell me about all the things you had done the day before, and how much he liked you, and what it meant to him that you were with him, and I don't know, I just think he realizes that this is important too. That you guys are more than just a fling.”

“I hope so.” Marinette and Alya continued to talk for a while longer, finishing their breakfasts and heading back for their side of town.

“You guys are going out again tonight, yeah?” Alya said as she and Marinette parted ways, “Go for it! And then call me tomorrow.”

“Okay.” Marinette said as she waved, walking back towards her building. She made her way back up to her apartment and started cleaning up, as she knew Adrien would be over soon. She was anxious. But she didn't let it show as she cleaned, her insides growing more nervous with every minute. Her cleaning took her away from the anxieties that were more than sort of due to Alya, and she didn't even notice when 6PM came along and Adrien let himself into the apartment.

She came out of her room wearing an old pair of pajama bottoms and a tank top she had had since high school, her hair a mess and stared at him.

“I'm guessing based on the look on your face you don't know what time it is.” He said and laughed as she looked at the clock on her wall, panicking as he walked over to her, kissing the side of her neck and wrapping his arms around her neck.

“Can we just skip dinner?” He held onto her as she closed her eyes and sighed, leaning back into his chest. But within seconds her growling stomach had given away that other than the coffee she had had with Alya that morning, she was running on nothing but nerves and a few saltines.

“Or not.” He said and let go of her, causing her to lose her balance for a moment, before turning and following him into the kitchen.

“Can we make pasta tonight?” He said, opening her cupboards, “I really want mac and cheese.”

“Sounds good to me.” Marinette said, and she pulled out a box of pasta and went to the fridge. After getting everything she needed, Marinette turned to find Adrien watching her.

“What?” She asked, smiling slightly at him, “See something you like?” He blushed and she look away, smiling and thinking to herself, _Alya was right_ , and she looked back at Adrien for a moment more, finding that he was still staring at her pajamas, _Maybe he does have a thing for my style_. And she held her head a little higher while she continued, letting her hips swing a bit more and flashing him what she hoped was a flirty glance every once in a while. Adrien watched her, and soon picked up on what she was doing. It wasn't perfect, but it was so totally working.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so I'm having a lot of fun writing this, and I hope you like it! Next chapter will be out in the next few days.


	10. Sleepover

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (¬‿¬)

Mac and cheese could be sexy if you wanted it to be. Adrien learned that as he watched Marinette make it. He leaned against the counter, arms crossed over his chest as she worked, smiling at her when she met his eyes.

“You could help you know.” She said, putting her hands on her hips and Adrien laughed.

“Sorry.” He said but she giggled, letting him know that there was no way she was really mad at him.

“Tease.” He said and kissed her gently. But she stepped out of the way and told him to stir while she found plates and forks for them. She noticed that her hands were shaking slightly, and she put the utensils down, sighing before turning back to where Adrien stood, stirring pasta.

“I'm cooking.” He deadpanned, and Marinette couldn't help the snort of laughter that escaped her mouth.

“Yes you are.” She said, taking the spoon from him and turning off the stove. She drained the noodles and added cheese, while Adrien brought their bowls to the counter. They ate mostly in silence, Marinette once in a while playing with the strands of her hair that fell out of the bun that sat on the side of her head, Adrien twirling his fork in his fingers, allowing it to take all his attention.

When they finished, the couple did the dishes, speaking only when it was necessary, Marinette telling Adrien where the cooking pot went, and Adrien splashing water on her nose causing her to giggle. For a while both of them were content to clean up in silence, smiling to each other, before it was time for what Alya called, _the good part_.

Adrien loved watching Marinette. She way she walked, the way she used her hands to talk, and the way that she tilted her head to the side when she was listening to something, like she was now as they watched some show on TV that Adrien had completely lost track of. But he didn't care. He just sat close to her and kept her in the corner of his eye, trying to keep his _very_ obvious ogling somewhat under control.

When it ended Marinette turned to him and smiled, before resting her head against his chest and swinging her legs up onto the couch beside her.

“I have ice cream.” She whispered, and Adrien smiled down at her, kissing the top of her head.

“What kind?” He asked, and when she replied _Vanilla_ , he scooped her up in his arms and dropped her onto the counter. “In the freezer I'm guessing.” He said, and went for the door, opening it and seeing the brand new container sitting in all it's glory. He pulled it out and went back to Marinette, leaning on her knees. She smiled as she opened it.

“We're going to need some spoons.” She said, and without another word Adrien went for the drawer and produced two spoons, handing one to Marinette before taking a small chunk out of the ice cream that was sitting on her lap.

“You know, I should really take you out on a nice date again.” Adrien said, “We've only done that like, twice, and if you're going to be my girlfriend then-”

“Girlfriend?” Marinette said, spoon waiting in the air, “I'm your girlfriend?”

“Well, yeah.” Adrien said, “Unless you have a problem with that.”

“No!” She said, and then with her mouth full of ice cream, “You just haven't called me that before.” Adrien smiled and for a few moments they ate ice cream in silence, but Marinette couldn't help herself, “So if you're my boyfriend, does this mean next time you get locked out of your apartment you'll come to mine?” Adrien nodded, “And does this mean that I can tell Alya?” She asked, and Adrien laughed.

“I'm sure she already knows.”

“How would she know?” Marinette laughed.

“She's smart.” Adrien said, but soon Alya was forgotten as Adrien moved closer, picking up the ice cream and holding it, standing between Marinette's knees as they ate it out of the container.

“Alright.” Marinette said after a few moments, “I'm full.” She tried to get down, but Adrien held her hips, the ice cream and spoons on the counter beside them.

“And just where do you think you're going?” He said, and leaned in, “It's only 9:30.”

“What do _you_ want to do?” Marinette asked, “Usually by now we're asleep on the couch.” In response Adrien kissed her, and Marinette thanked the stars that she had taken the advice of her best friend. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he legs found his hips, ankles clasping behind his back as he wove his fingers through the sweater she wore, pulling her chest flush against his. He broke away for a moment and Marinette gasped for breath, closing her eyes as his lips found her neck, kissing softly and ever so slightly tickling. After what seemed like an eternity apart, Adrien's lips found their way back to Marinette's, his hands gripping her tightly as he picked her up off the counter. He started walking, slowly at first, away from the kitchen area, and headed to where he knew her bedroom was. But before he could get the door open, she had pulled away and wriggled out of his arms.

Adrien was too stunned to speak, but as soon as he realized what she was doing, he started laughing.

“Marinette it's just ice cream.”

“Ice cream I paid good money for!” She said as she put the cover on, throwing the spoons into the sink, “If you want to let it melt then you owe me a new container.” Adrien laughed softly as she made her way back over to him, and smiled.

“I will buy you a hundred if you just get over here.” For a moment he wasn't sure what she would do. Was she ready for this? Was _he_ ready for this? As she walked toward him, Adrien decided that he might be, and when she jumped up into his arms, he wondered why he ever thought he wouldn't want this with her.

It took some coordination and teamwork to get the door both opened, and closed without their lips parting, but as soon as Adrien was in her room, Marinette stepped back to the ground and dragged him back to her bed, kissing him as she knelt on her knees, his arms around her. Her fingers went for the hem of his shirt, and started tugging impatiently, pulling it over his head as soon as he allowed it, surprised, but pleased when moments later he did the same to her, his arms circling behind her as he lips went to her shoulder, kissing her slowly as the clasp of her bra came undone in his hands. With a touch softer than any Marinette had ever felt, his hands slowly moved over her skin, until her top half was exposed, slowly pushing her back onto the bed and straddling her, his eyes roaming over her. Marinette thought she should be nervous, but something about the way Adrien was looking at her made her want to go faster, and her hands went for the belt at his waist. He kissed her again, and soon her shorts had been shed, leaving only the small polka dotted underwear she had picked out that morning between them.

“Polkadots.” Adrien said, “Why did I expect anything else?” Marinette laughed and closed her eyes as one of his hands and mouth found her chest, her laughter turning into a sigh as her back arched ever so slightly, toes curling as his fingers traveled down and down, playing with the waistband that stood between them, before pushing back from her, pulling them down over her legs. His eyes were hooded, but Marinette could see, even in the dim light, the flush that his risen in his face.

He tossed her underwear aside and kissed her stomach, hands going to the backs of her thighs, kissing lower and lower as he raised her knees and moved them apart. Adrien held onto her hips to keep her from moving too much, her sighs and gasps validation enough that she was enjoying herself. Eventually, she was shaking, and he no longer needed to hold onto her, as her legs had fallen aside, and her breaths were coming shallow and fast, arms flung wide as he straightened out on top of her, burying his face in her neck and kissing softly while she regained the ability to move.

“Oh my god.” She said eventually, and laughed as he smiled down at her, “Are you still wearing pants?” Adrien laughed, as it was not the response he was expecting, but he did as she as (indirectly) asked, and soon his last pieces of clothing joined hers on the floor. Marinette looked up at him and smiled, laughing as he thought for a moment and rolled his eyes, retrieving something from his pants.

“Have a premonition that you'd get lucky tonight?” She asked as he stretched out on top of her again, letting himself down onto her ever so slightly, his weight comforting to her as her hands found his back.

“More like a glimmer of hope that has finally paid off.” And her laugh turned to a gasp as he pushed into her. Her arms curled around his neck his mouth pressing against hers. Adrien pulled back slightly, before moving again, and Marinette's eyes closed of their own accord as she folded herself around him as tightly as she could, keeping him close. She loved the way he felt, and she loved that he pulled and pushed slowly, moving with her instead of against, letting her hips influence his own. She let her head fall back as he began moving faster, breathing into her neck as Marinette's fingers found his hair. It ended as quickly as it had begun, Adrien rolling off Marinette and looking at her, both of them trying to recover their breath.

“Whoa.” Adrien said, when the power of speech was again his to control.

“Yeah.” Marinette said, and she laughed. For a few minutes neither moved, each one perfectly content to sit together for a while longer, but wanting to break whatever it was that hung between them. When she couldn't take it anymore, Marinette turned to Adrien, who was smiling at her, and she grinned, saying with a wicked look in her eyes, “Let's do that again.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I hope you enjoyed this one, it was fun to write, and I'm already working on the next one, and the first chapter of another fic is 95% so if you like what I've written here, maybe you'll like what I'm working on as well. Thanks for reading!


	11. Sneaking Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AH! We've reached over 100 Kudos! Thank you so much, I've had a lot of fun writing this (it's my second fic here) so thank you for all the support or I probably would have given up a while ago.

If you asked Adrien to estimate how much time had gone by since he pulled Marinette from the counter and into her bedroom he would say not enough, when in reality it had been almost three hours as it was nearing midnight. He had been asleep for a while, and even though he was content to stay that way, Marinette was having second thoughts about letting him fall asleep. It wasn't that she didn't want him near her, because god knows she did, but she hadn't had time lately to be LB much, and she knew Alya was looking for something new for her website. She contemplated waking him up, she thought up a hundred different ways she could sneak out while he slept, but none of them took into account what a light sleeper he was. So she laid beside him, staring up at the ceiling, happy but impatient.

Eventually she decided it was best if she just bit the bullet and got up, moving as slowly and quietly as she could, trying not to disturb him. Her feet padded softly on the floor and she stood in front of the door, ready to face her next challenge. All her paint gear (including her clothes) were the in the large duffle bag she kept in the back of the closet across the hall. She did however grab a clean pair of underwear from her drawer, not even looking for the ones Adrien had tossed aside earlier. She pulled them on and touched her hand to the knob, taking a deep breath before turning it slowly. It creaked but Adrien didn't move, and Marinette slipped quietly into the hall, closing the door and remembering to breathe.

While he hadn't moved, Marinette's movements had woken Adrien up, and he watched her through half closed eyes stand up and move to her dresser, pulling on underwear and looking back at him. There was no way she could tell his eyes were slightly open, but he closed them even further, barely able to make out her form through his eyelashes, he saw her move towards the door. She was graceful in a way he had never seen before, moving quietly and opening the door, the sliver of light from the hallway cutting into the darkness for only a moment as she left. _Where on earth is she going?_ Adrien thought to himself, and he sat up, running his hands through his hair and rubbing his eyes, looking at the clock on her dresser.

He'd barely been asleep an hour, but with thoughts of Marinette running through his brain, he knew going back to sleep wasn't an option. He got up and looked around, trying to find his clothes. He pulled on his pants and went to the door, listening intently, and could hear her moving around outside. He heard something clang together, and heard her quietly cursing before moving away from the door. He pulled on his shirt and tried to decide if he should confront her, or just go back to his apartment. _I can't just leave_ , he thought to himself, _What would she think then?_ He knew that she wasn't trying to ditch him in the middle of the night, as this was her apartment, and she would come back, but he was curious as to why she was leaving and where she was going.

He stayed at the door for a few moments longer, trying to listen to what she was doing on the other side. When he heard her feet on the tile floor of the kitchen, he knew this was his chance. He opened the door slowly and looked out, hearing her keys in her hands as she went for the front door. Slipping into the hall and closing the door behind him, Adrien made his way into the kitchen, and watched as the door closed behind her. He immediately went for his shoes and coat, both of which were sitting by the door where he had dropped them when he came in. He made sure the door was unlocked behind him, and then started down the hall, and for a moment, debated taking the elevator, but decided that the stairs would be easier, and he raced down them, making it down just as the elevator opened, revealing Marinette walking towards the door at the front of the building. Adrien followed her, staying hidden as best he could as she made her way down the street.

He had absolutely no idea where she could be going, as her path was leading nowhere in particular. He could see her looking around at walls and up at buildings in the darkness, but she never stopped long enough to really look at the graffiti that was written there. _What is she looking for?_ He wondered, and tried to stay far enough away so that if she did happen to turn and see him, all she would see is someone walking down the street and not her boyfriend following behind her. For a moment he couldn't decide which was worse, and decided that he should just be extra careful to make sure that Marinette didn't see him. She moved deliberately, but without a destination it seemed, as though she knew what she was looking for, but had no idea where it would be.

But eventually her journey came to an end, and she looked around, making sure she was alone, and pulled a hood over her face, her black clothing keeping her hidden while she opened her duffle. Adrien could hear her arguing with herself, but he couldn't hear what she was saying. He did however, hear something hit the pavement, before Marinette picked it up again, and stepped slightly into the light. Then, Adrien watched as she shook the paint can, and began to paint. He couldn't believe what he was looking at. Marinette, his girlfriend, was a graffiti artist. It was crazy. She got up in the middle of the night and painted. He wondered how many times she had done this, when the pattern he saw began to look familiar. The red playing with the black making for a strange but beautiful combination. He watched her, too stunned to move as she worked, standing on her toes, and even jumping at times to create the perfect stroke of paint that she wanted.

He watched her pick up a new can and slip the old one into her bag, this time bringing out a green color that Adrien could have sworn matched his eyes. She was humming to herself he realized, and she seemed at home here, creating art, if not vandalism, on the side of this building. He wished he could place where he had seen this style before, but he couldn't quite remember. He could tell she was finishing up when she would take long pauses before painting, adding only a single line to the overall picture every few minutes, taking a step back to look at what she had done. When she seemed pleased with it she stepped forward and painted one last thing. Small letters in red and black, LB.

Adrien was still in shock as he stumbled away from his hiding place and went as fast as he could back towards the apartment, knowing he would have to get back before she did. _Marinette is LB, Marinette is LB_ , the words ran on repeat in his head as he went, not letting go of him all the way back to the building, all the way up the stairs, and back to Marinettes apartment where he put his shoes and coat where they had been, locked the door, and finally relaxed, going back to Marinettes room and once again shedding his clothes before climbing into her bed. _Marinette is LB_ , he thought again, _How could she do this to Alya?_ Went through his mind, but even more prominent, the selfish question remained, _Why didn't she tell me?_ A few minutes later when Marinette came back, she was wearing only a bra and underwear. He rolled over and looked up at her.

“What are you doing up?” Adrien said, trying to sound like he had just woken up, “And why are you wearing those?” She was stunned for a moment.

“I had to go to the bathroom.” She said, “And I can't leave my room completely naked, what if someone had broken in?” He laughed at her logic, trying to forget the events of the night.

“Well take them off and get back here.” He smiled at her and she happily obliged, kissing him and curling up in his arms. She sighed and Adrien laughed.

“If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were purring.” And Marinette looked up at him.

“If you have some weird thing for cats yours is right across the hall.” But he shook his head and kissed her nose.

“I only meant you curl up like one.” She relaxed in his arms, but Adrien stayed tense until he fell asleep. His mind still telling him over and over, _Marinette is LB_.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now that I've officially started posting 2 fics at once, there might be a few days between updates. I've spent some time on the Percy Jackson one lately, and I'm a little behind on this one. But! I will have some time this weekend, so I'll be sure to update both soon. Thanks for reading!


	12. Mural

Marinette took a sigh of relief as she closed the apartment door behind her. She had made it out without waking Adrien, and now she was going to paint. She started walking down the hall quietly, knowing that she had to make it out without being seen by anyone who knew her, and might find it necessary to bring up her late night adventures in conversation when Adrien was around. She loved most of the people that lived near her, but some of them just wanted to light the fire and run. She made her way to the elevator and stepped inside silently, apologizing to Adrien for the entirety of the short ride to the first floor.

Peeking out of the elevator she crept out and started towards the door, sighing with relief as she made it onto the street. It was always more peaceful at night, and she made her way down the street to a few of the walls she had scoped out earlier as potential places to paint. Walking with purpose, she went first to a large area a few blocks away, but changed course as soon as she saw a few people standing close by, veering off towards another street. This one seemed more promising, but as she rounded the corner to see the area, she found a few people sleeping. _Maybe I could..._ but she knew there was no way she would be able to paint with people asleep at her feet.

Once again she changed destination, hoping desperately that this one would be empty. She only ever scouted four areas at a time, and if none were free she just went home. But she hadn't painted in a little while and she was desperate to do something, no matter how small. Luckily when she neared the third location she found it empty. In the silence and dropped her bag and listened. There was no sound, but she had the eerie feeling that she was being watched. She shrugged the feeling away and took a deep breath, putting her hands on her hips for a moment as she looked up at the wall. In the darkness it seemed bigger, and she opened her bag, never taking her eyes off the concrete. She only took out what she needed, knowing that a quick getaway was always a good idea.

Picking up a can of red she shook it, the metal comforting in her hands. Taking a deep breath, Marinette began to paint. She let her arm move fluidly as she smiled to herself, trying not to burst with happiness as she left her mark on the wall, painting first with red, then with black, and then moving to a green that had caught her eye when she was buying supplies for costume making. Normally Marinette wouldn't think of buying the paint when someone could see her, but the green had leapt out at her, and she had to buy it.

The opened it and shook the can, before letting the paint cover part of the wall. It was a while before she finished, but she took a step back and looked at her work, missing only one thing. The small letters that she put in the corner to make sure that Alya would be able to tell it was her. Picking up the red and black she made her sign. The little LB that had sparked interest all over the city. When she packed up her bag, the eerie feeling from before swept over her again, making her look around for someone who might have seen her. But the feeling was gone as soon as it came and she hefted the bag over her shoulder and made her way for her bedroom where she knew Adrien waited for her.

When Marinette woke up the next morning, she felt someone breathing on the back of her neck and smiled. An arm anchored her in place and she turned slightly to find a peaceful face sleeping behind her. She twisted a bit and kissed his cheek, settling against him as he shifted, sighing as he slowly woke up and smiled into her hair.

“What time is it?” He asked, “I don't want to get up ever.” Marinette looked at her clock and was shocked to find it was barely 7:30.

“It's early.” She said, and snuggled closer to him, “Go back to sleep.” Adrien did as he was told and they slept for a while longer, even with the morning stretching around them, they managed to stay oblivious for just a little bit longer. But when a text came in for Marinette, they both stirred.

“Let me just see who it is.” She said as she pulled the covers up over her chest, “If it's not important I won't answer.” But she already knew it was Alya, texting to let her know that she had found a new LB painting, and that she was going to be working on the weekend even though she always swore she wouldn't.

Adrien watched her, and leaned back into her pillow, sighing as she put the phone down and settled her head on his chest.

“Alya.” She said, answering the question that he didn't even have to ask, “She found a new LB painting.”

“Is that so.” Adrien said, and without her even knowing, he let a smirk onto his face, tilting his head slightly to look at the top of her head, the dark hair that now was splayed against his skin. “Good for her.” He closed his eyes and though he felt tense, he relaxed as Marinette's fingers lazily moved up and down the arm that he held around her.

When they did finally get up, Marinette pulled her laptop out from under the bed and opened it up, checking Alya's website. They were sitting in the kitchen, Marinette on a stool by the counter, while Adrien made himself something to eat.

“Anything new about this one?” Adrien asked, knowing that at some point she would have to bring up the fact that the green that had been used in the painting matched his eyes, a coincidence that made sense to him, but probably wouldn't to most.

“Not really.” Marinette said, and he realized that she was better at this than he was. She had been doing this for a while now, and he could see why Alya had never figured it out, “Just that there's green in it. Other than that it's completely LB.” She smiled up at Adrien who handed her a plate with a bagel on it, and kissed the top of her head, moving behind her to get a closer look at the painting he had seen the night before.

“I like it.” He said, and watched for shift in Marinette. But she didn't move, simply nodding her head and studying the picture.

“It's a little loose for my liking, but it's pretty good.”

“Loose?” Adrien asked, “What do you mean?”

“You know,” she motioned to the lines of the painting, “They're not straight. Most of LB's work is angular, but this one is all loose lines. I like the others better.” They ate in silence, Marinette reading what Alya had written, while Adrien half listened, thinking about how easily her lies came to her. He couldn't help but wonder if there was anything else she was hiding. A vigilante sister who sculpted in the dead of night, or a brother who used chalk on the sidewalk when no one was looking.

He knew at some point he would have to confront her about this, he knew that it wasn't going to be easy telling her that he followed her and then pretended to be clueless while she fed him lies. Even as he thought about it, it seemed daunting. But he cared enough about her that he wanted to tell her he knew, and he hoped that she cared enough about him to tell him everything.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really can't believe that there's 125 Kudos on this. All of you that continue to read this every time I post are awesome. Chapter Thirteen will be coming soon!


	13. Sketchbook

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter thirteen! Crazy! Only a few left (I'm going to miss writing this) but I am also thinking about doing a sequel series to this that focuses on some of the minor characters more, but of course, will still be driven by Marinette and Adrien. Thoughts on this? Would people want to read it?

Days seemed to be an eternity each as Adrien tried to figure out how to tell Marinette that he knew she was LB. He tried to distract himself with work, but one look at Alya and how excited she was about the green in the newest painting sent him back to watching Marinette, and how he had to tell her he knew. He decided that it would be best to tell her in private, and allow her to react however she wanted. He hated when he saw in movies people bringing up issues in public so the confrontation was kept small. He never wanted to be that manipulative.

Regardless of this however, he did tell her that he was going to cook for her at her place, and that he didn't want any help from her.

“You are the sweetest.” She said to him as he came in to her apartment, shopping bag in hand, not even wearing shoes.

“And you are not going to help me.” He said and pulled her away from the counter, “You always cook for me, so I decided I wanted to do the same for you, and since you're allergic to Plagg, I thought I would just cook here.”

“And you like my apartment better anyway.”

“Mostly because you're in it.” She rolled her eyes, laughing at him, “Too much?” He asked and she shrugged.

“I'll give it an A for effort, and a C for originality.”

“Fair enough.” He said and began to pull things from the shopping bag. For a few minutes he prepared ingredients in silence while she watched him. He had specifically told her that she wasn't allowed to help him, and so she simply sat and watched, smiling at him as he cooked for her.

“Oh shoot!” He said eventually, “I forgot chives!” He turned to Marinette, “You wouldn't happen to have some would you?”

“Unless you want to pick it out of cream cheese no.” He sighed and thought about going to get some, but before he could, Marinette was on her feet and heading for the door.

“You keep going, and I'll run and get some. It shouldn't take more than 15 minutes for me to walk there and back.” She smiled and he blinked at her, “Oh please, I trust you here, just don't burn the place to the ground and I'll see you in a few.” She kissed him quickly and closed the door behind her. Adrien looked at the door for a few moments, not sure what he should do next. He really couldn't do much more without chives, and he had a powerful urge to look for the duffle bag that she had snuck out of the apartment with a few nights before. _If she catches you looking for it, she'll never trust you again_ , he thought to himself, and for a few moments he turned back to the food he had been making. But his curious side eventually won over, and he left the pot on the stove simmering as he made his way for the closet across from her room.

He opened the door, and a quick look didn't give him anything. But he didn't think she would be so careless with something as important at her secret identity. His eyes fell to something else however, and for a moment, the duffle bag was forgotten. He pulled what appeared to be a sketchbook from the top shelf and looked at it. While it did have what appeared to be a hardcover somewhere, it had been completely covered in old fabric. He looked at it, and recognized some of the pieces of cloth from costumes he had seen her make over the past few weeks, as well as some that he had only seen pictures of. But a lot of the cloth was a mystery to him.

Adrien thought about putting it back, but he decided that if he looked at one it wouldn't really hurt. He opened the book and on the first page he smiled. It was a sketch of a tarantula, Tikki he assumed, up close. With beautiful shadows playing at her legs, and a shimmer to her eyes that Adrien couldn't believe Marinette had done with only pencil. He looked to the page opposite and found some drawings of costumes. _Well this doesn't tell me anything_ , he thought, and went to the next page, gasping as he found written, over and over again, different fonts and styles of the letters LB. There had to be about fifty of them, written over the two pages he was staring at, all of them slightly different but equally beautiful.

Eventually he found the one that she used to sign her work now and ran his fingers over it, smiling at the colors. He turned the page once again and found designs of paintings he had seen Alya look at, some of her first work as LB, before she had captured the attention of the entire city. The drawings explained how she managed to come up with designs so quickly, but nothing but the paint she used could bring to life the concepts she was depicting. Adrien decided that he should play it safe and put the book back, tiptoeing back to the kitchen (for reasons even he couldn't explain) and waiting for Marinette to return.

When the door to the apartment finally unlocked, Adrien smiled at her, but couldn't help seeing her as LB, putting him on edge as he knew any kind of slip up on his part would alert her. So he thanked her for the chives and got back to work, barely speaking and saying it was because he was concentrating, letting her believe that he was nervous about cooking for her, and eventually carrying two plates to the small table they ate at.

“You were right about the chives.” Marinette said, “We really did need them.” She smiled at him and the couple ate in silence, Marinette happy to have Adrien with her, Adrien nervous for reasons he couldn't tell her, not yet anyway. He knew that it wasn't good to keep it from her that he knew, but he was still trying to figure out the words. A few times he started to ask.

“Marinette are you... ready for desert?” He would say, or “Hey, I have to ask you something... what should we do this weekend?” His attempts were weak, and as he ran his hands through his hair she began to realize something was wrong.

“You seem kind of tense.” She said as they settled down onto the couch. Everything had been put away, the dishes had been done, and he no longer had a reason to avoid her gaze, “What's going on?” Marinette wasn't worried, but she couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. He had been distant the past few days, and while she didn't think he was going to break it off, she was still sort of wondering if that had been what he had been trying to tell her all night.

“Just tired.” He said, and smiled at her, “Want to watch something?” But she took the remote from him and frowned.

“Something's wrong, and we're not going to watch something until you tell me what it is.” She pulled her legs up under her and crossed her arms, waiting for him to say something. But he could only shrug, how did he bring this up? What would he say to her when she inevitably asked him how he knew? Would it be worse to lie or tell the truth? He ran his hands through his hair and looked up at her. Her gaze had gone from irritated to sad as she watched him, and she sighed.

“Whatever it is, just say it.” He could hear the hurt in her voice, and he knew he had to speak.

“Okay, but you can't just get mad, you have to let me explain.” Adrien said, and Marinette nodded, the look on her face making it obvious she was confused.

“I have been so happy with you.” He told her, hoping that it would help her understand why he didn't tell her right away, “And I didn't want to do anything that would ruin that because I care about you.” He sighed, “But I don't want to lie to you, but I also don't really know how to say this.” He looked at his hands, which were gripping his knees so tightly his knuckles were white. He heard what sounded like a choked sob from Marinette and turned to find her biting down on her bottom lip.

“Just get it over with.” She said eventually, and she stood up, “Is that why you made me dinner tonight? To try to soften the blow?” She walked to the door and looked around at him, “Well nice job, it did no such thing.” She crossed her arms, and Adrien couldn't help but stare at her.

“What are you talking about?” He said, “What do you mean soften the blow? Of what?”

“If you're going to leave, just please, _leave_.” She made a show of opening the door for him, but he stayed on the couch. Eventually she slammed it shut.

“I can tell what you're trying to do, and you don't have to baby me.” She crossed her arms, tears forming in her eyes and threatening to spill onto her face as she stared at him, “I do have _some_ dignity.” He looked at her for a moment, and the cartoon pajama pants she had changed into were too much. He couldn't help himself, he laughed. The reaction was immediate.

“Get out!” She yelled at him, and muttered to herself, “Laughing at me...” But when Adrien stood he grabbed her arms.

“Would you calm down and listen to me?” He said, trying to pull her back to him, “For five minutes?”

“Why?” She said, finally meeting his eyes as the tears in her eyes fell onto her cheeks, “I don't care what you have to say, so just get out.” She tried to pull out of his arms, “Let go of me or I swear to god-” He let go of her and she stumbled back, hitting the wall beside the door, and looking up at him.

“You have to let me explain.”

“Oh my god.” She rolled her eyes at him, “If you feed me some line about it _not being you, it's me_ I'm going to-”

“Wait, what?” Adrien said, “What are you talking about?” Marinette looked at him, frozen for a moment.

“What are _you_ talking about?”

“Do you think,” he looked at her, “do you think I'm breaking up with you?” Marinette looked at him for a moment.

“Yes.” She said eventually, and he sighed, relieved that he could fix this.

“No.” He held out his arms to her, “I'm not breaking up with you.” He smiled and she took a step forward, then another, letting him hold her against his chest, _I'm trying to find a way to keep you close_ , he thought and hugged her, resting his cheek on top of her head. They stayed like that for a few moments, until Marinette pulled away.

“If you aren't breaking up with me, then what are you doing?”

“I'm trying to tell the truth.” Adrien said, and he knew there was no going back now, “I'm trying to tell you that I know you're LB.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AND THERE IT IS FOLKS.


	14. The Real LB

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 150 Kudos! This is amazing thank you so much everyone!

Marinette didn't have any siblings. It became very clear at a young age that if she was going to lie, she would have to blame someone other than her imaginary friends. So she looked for other ways to paint on the walls of her room and not get in trouble. She started with her closet, pushing the clothes to the side and sitting alone at night, her watercolors beside her, laughing to herself at the secret pictures that existed for only her. Her parents would ask her if she had done any painting, and she would tell them no, everything hidden by clothing and a mess that even her mother didn't want to touch.

Until one day she did. When Marinette had gotten home from school she knew something was wrong. But it wasn't until she saw her paints sitting on the counter that she knew she was in trouble. She didn't know what to do. She had been caught in the middle of a lie, and she faced her mother with the truth, as she confessed that she had indeed been painting on her closet wall in secret. But her parents hadn't been that mad. It was only watercolor, and soon her closet was cleaned, and Marinette was given a new set of paints as well as a full sized sketchbook to paint and draw in. As she stood before Adrien she could only hope that the outcome was half as good as it had been when she was little.

Marinette knew denying it was useless, she knew that he wouldn't have made the accusation unless he really knew, so instead she held her gaze with his and asked, “How?”

“I was awake when you left a few nights ago.” He said, “I got up and followed you out, and stayed behind you all the way to where you painted.”

“Wait, what?” Marinette said, the emotions coursing through her confusing her even more, “You _followed_ me?” Anger. Shame. Hurt. “You laid beside me and lied to me, and then didn't even have the decency to tell me that you knew!” She crossed her arms, “At least I had my reasons, what's your reason?”

“I didn't know what to say!” But his excuse seemed flimsy at best, “How did you want that conversation to go?”

“I don't know!” Marinette said, “But you could have just told me you had woken up.”

“But would you have gone out to paint that night?' Adrien asked, “Or would you have just lied to me about why you were awake too?”

“Don't take it so personally.” Marinette said, and she walked past him, “I lie to everyone.”

“Even Alya.” Adrien said, and instantly regretted it as she turned on him.

“Don't you dare presume you know anything about why I didn't tell Alya.” Adrien could see the anger in her eyes, but he couldn't stop.

“But what if she finds out?” Adrien asked, “How would you tell her then?”

“I'll tell her the truth.”

“Which is?” Adrien couldn't help but ask. Marinette thought for a moment, some of the anger in her eyes receding as she thought about her best friend. “What's your favorite part of a book?” She asked, and as Adrien opened his mouth, she shook her head, “I'll answer for you, because it's the same for everyone. It's the mystery. Trying to figure out what's going to happen next. When you reach the end, no matter how satisfying it is, you're going to be sad because that means it's over.” She sighed and looked up at him, “I was only going to be LB as long as she needed me to. She'll figure it out eventually, but until then, I'm dragging out the end of this book as long as I can.”

“But how do you think she'll respond to finding out it's you?” Adrien said, “Have you thought about how that conversation would go?”

“I've barely known you over two months.” Marinette said, “I've known Alya most of my life, I think about how she'll respond every time I see her.” She leaned back against the table she had been backing towards their whole conversation, “I want to tell her so badly, but I know what it would do to her, and now it's like I'm too far gone to even try.” She shook her head, “I can't pull myself out of this one. If she finds out there's no fixing it.” Adrien tried to stay still, he really did, but seeing her look so sad as she thought about Alya made his legs move of their own accord as he walked over to her and took her face between his hands.

“When I first saw you painting I couldn't believe it.” He said, “But as I watched you paint it made more and more sense.” He tilted her face so he could look in her eyes, “Of course you would be LB. Who else?” The smile that shone on her face for a moment was enough for him. He hugged her close and felt her arms slowly go around his waist.

“I'm still mad at you.” She grumbled into his shirt, “You are in no way forgiven for following me.”

“Well I'm not particularly thrilled with you at the moment either.” Adrien said, “But I can understand why you didn't tell me.” They stood together for a few minutes, happy to silently hold each other. But Marinette eventually pulled away and looked up at him.

“Something is still bothering you.” She said, “What's wrong?”

“I can't believe you thought I was breaking up with you.” He said, “Is that what you wanted?” He felt stupid asking, but he had to know.

“No!” She said, and she almost laughed, thinking of how she had yelled at him, “Even though it was only for a few seconds, I was so happy when you said that wasn't what you were doing. Then you dropped the LB Bomb and here we are.”

“And just for the record,” Adrien said, trying to defend himself, “if I _was_ breaking up with you, I wouldn't be.” Marinette rolled her eyes but shifted so that she was leaning on him.

“B+ for effort.” She said, “But a C+ for creativity.”

“I'll take it.” He said.

“I hope you know that when there's something bothering you, you can tell me.” Marinette said, “I don't want you to feel like you have to keep things from me.” He nodded and before he could stop himself,

“I found your sketchbook in the closet.” He turned to find Marinette staring at him with a strange expression on her face. It was one of confusion, and utter disbelief.

“I don't believe you.” She said, “I leave you here for ten minutes and you go snooping through my stuff.” She shook her head, “Did you plan on telling me that you found it? Or was it something else you were going to keep from me?”

“I wasn't trying to keep it from you!” Adrien said, “I was trying to tell you, and then you went crazy and were yelling at me about breaking up with you.” He knew he was yelling, but he was tired of just comforting her. He had been hurt too. “I was going to tell you everything right then, but you got all mad, and now we're just fighting for no reason.”

“No reason?” Marinette said, “You went through my stuff, specifically to find evidence about me being LB correct?” She asked, “And now you want me to pretend that it's no big deal, and that it doesn't bother me at all?” Adrien didn't know what to say. She had pointed out exactly what he had been doing, but based on her tone of voice, it wouldn't be a good idea to confirm her suspicions.

“I just had to be sure.” Adrien said, “And your sketchbook confirmed it.”

“Because following me, and watching me paint wasn't enough?”

“It was just a shock alright?” He was pleading with her now, but he could see her was losing. Marinette was an understanding person, but he knew he had crossed a line when he looked at the sketchbook. They were both silent for a few moments, Adrien looking at Marinette, Marinette not taking her eyes off the floor in front of her. But eventually she met his eyes.

“Can you leave?” She asked, “I need to be alone for a little while.” Her voice was quiet, but Adrien heard her over the sound of his own brain panicking as he nodded and headed for the door.

“I'm not sure it it means anything, but I'm sorry.” He said, and opened the door to the hall, waiting for a response that she refused to give, before going back to his apartment.

Marinette ran her fingers through her hair and looked around, suddenly feeling more alone than she had in a long time. But she couldn't let herself run back to him. Not after this. So instead she curled up with her laptop, letting her night drift by without giving Adrien a second thought. Instead she thought about her paintings, and what she was going to do next. She thought about Tikki, and what she would do when her spider finally died. She thought about Alya, and eventually Adrien's words came back to her. If Marinette was being perfectly honest with herself, she had no idea how Alya would react to finding out her best friend was LB and that she had been lying to her the entire time. She didn't get much sleep that night, and when she woke up the next morning, it only got worse.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone is enjoying the story! I'm almost finished writing all of it, so get ready!


	15. In Between

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all the comments and kudos! This has been so much fun to write, and one broken station wagon later here is the next chapter!

Adrien didn't like his schedule without Marinette in it. He had been comfortable coming home from work and looking for her, getting up in the morning and asking her if she wanted to have breakfast, and then kissing her goodbye whenever one had to leave. His routine had been shaken up by the strange girl across the hall, but now that she was gone, he felt empty in a way he never had before. Now he woke up alone, ate breakfast with Plagg, and headed out for work in the morning, taking an extra few moments to stare at her door before going for the elevator.

It had been over a week since their fight, and Adrien felt like his happiness had been put on standstill. He didn't want to believe that by kicking him out that night she had ended things for good. He didn't want to accept that she was gone. But he knew she needed her space and eventually, he started to get desperate with wanting to see her.

Marinette woke up the morning after their fight and tried to come up with an excuse to explain to Alya why she didn't want to talk about Adrien, and she missed them both. That day she hadn't moved from her room, laying in bed with the snacks she kept near as she cried to herself, missing her best friend and wishing she could forgive Adrien as easily as she wanted to. But even though he had only gone through her closet, she felt open and vulnerable in a way she never had before. She felt like all her secrets had been exposed like someone had peeled back her thoughts to find the meaning behind them. She didn't like it. So instead of dealing with it, she pushed it aside, swapping the company of Adrien and Alya for the sitcoms that didn't seem to make her laugh anymore.

The first day was the hardest, but like all things, it too came to an end. Quickly becoming day two, and then three until Marinette had gone a week without speaking to, or seeing both Adrien and Alya. She poured her heart into costumes during the day, and went out painting every night, her own silent way of telling Adrien she was still around. On the ninth day of her solitude, Marinette was woken up by someone knocking on her door. She got up and shuffled to the front of the apartment, looking out to find a less than happy Alya before her. She opened the door, and Alya burst into the room, hugging her.

“Where have you been?” She asked, “You've been AWOL for way too long!” She pulled back and surveyed Marinette's rumpled tee shirt and dirty socks, “Go take a shower and then we're talking, I'll make us something hot to drink.” Marinette wanted to cry with relief, and she smiled at Alya who pushed her towards the bathroom.

“And make sure you wash your hair _properly_!” Marinette laughed as she closed the door, and started the water. Soon she and Alya were seated on Marinette's couch with a blanket over them, both holding mugs of tea close to their chests while they talked.

“He seemed different so I knew something was up.” Alya said, “But I never thought he would go through your stuff.” She sighed and took a sip of her drink, “I'm sorry Mari.” Marinette leaned her head on Alya's shoulder and closed her eyes, willing the tears to stay put, and the lump in her throat to disappear. “Has he tried talking to her?” Alya asked eventually.”

“No.” Marinette managed to choke out before regaining her voice to say, “I think he knows that I don't want to talk to him.”

“Well I'm no expert.” Alya said, “But I think you should at least let him explain why he did it.” Marinette hadn't told Alya all the details, and she changed the story slightly, telling her that Adrien went looking through her stuff because he thought she was hiding something from him. While it wasn't quite the truth, Alya got the idea and she was on Marinette's side (mostly).

“You think I should give him another chance?”

“Only if he's willing to work for it.” Alya leaned her head down so that it was on top of Marinette's. “He really cares about you Mari, I can tell. It would be a shame to let something this good go to waste because of one fight.” Marinette thought for a few moments.

“Maybe you're right.” She sighed and could feel Alya smiling against her hair.

“Of course I'm right.” Alya kissed the top of Marinette's head and sat back up, taking another sip of her tea. Marinette followed suit and they put their attention back to the television that they had muted while commercials ran. For a while, the girls were content to simply sit with each other and drink their tea. But while Alya was actually watching, Marinette was thinking. Her mind working fast as she thought about Adrien, and how he could ever win her trust back.

“I'm going to text him.” She said eventually, causing Alya to look at her in surprise, as if for a moment she forgot who they had been talking about.

“Okay.” Her voice was tentative as she waited for Marinette to continue, “Any idea what you're going to say?”

“Nope.” But Marinette had already gotten up and was heading for her room where her phone sat, sitting exactly where she had left it after it died, halfway through her day of movies over a week ago.

“I have to charge it first.” She said as Alya followed her, “And then I'll text him.” Marinette left her phone to charge, while she and Alya talked for a while longer. When Alya finally had to go, Marinette went back into her room and turned on her phone.

At first, not a single notification came through, but once she had service, they poured in. Texts from Alya telling her about the newest LB paintings, emails from people who wanted costumes, and even a message from her mother, asking when she was going to visit. She noticed that there were three texts from Adrien, and she opened them hesitantly. She imagined they would be long, and full of apologies, but what she found was just a few sentences. _When I was 12 I accidentally let my cat outside during a snowstorm and he never came back_.

It wasn't quite the romantic sonnet she had been hoping for, but as she continued she couldn't help but smile, _I've never told anyone that before. I think it's my biggest secret._ Marinette sighed and bit down on her lower lip, the tears that made their way down her face accompanied by a laugh that she couldn't hold back. _I took a piece of you without asking, so I hope you'll accept one from me_. She wiped her eyes and put the phone down. She stood up and went to the door, not even bothering to put on shoes, wearing only sweatpants and an oversized sweater. She opened the door to the hall, and for a few moments, she stared at Adrien's door, not sure if this was a good idea.

But the decision was made for her when the door opened, and Adrien stepped out into the hall. He noticed her right away, and stared, like he couldn't believe she was real.

“Hi.” Marinette's voice was soft, but the sound of it made Adrien's knees weak. He had missed her voice so much, and as she smiled he remembered how much he had loved her smile.

“Uh, hi.” He managed, closing the door to his apartment behind him, “How have you been?”

“Not great.” Marinette said, “But I wanted to talk to you.” She said, and he waited, not sure what was going to happen next.

“When I was a kid,” She began, “I used to paint on the walls of my closet. My parents found out, but what they didn't find was the painting I had done behind my dresser. As far as I know it's still there.” Adrien smiled at her as he understood what she was doing.

“When I was thirteen I crashed my bike into a ditch near my house, and instead of telling my parents I said it had been stolen.” He said, “I haven't ridden one since.” Marinette couldn't help but laugh as she said,

“I talk to Tikki like she's a person when I'm alone.” She said, “And sometimes I make up things for her to say back to me.” Adrien took a tentative step forward, and Marinette did as well, trying to tell him that it was okay, and that she wanted nothing more than to be back in his arms. But Adrien was cautious, and stayed a few feet out of reach.

“Once I forgot my dad's birthday.” Adrien said, “So I pretended to be sick so that I would have an extra day to come up with something.” Marinette couldn't take it anymore. She basically jumped the last few feet between them and wrapped herself around him, her arms going around his neck as he held her.

“I missed you so much.” He whispered in her ear, “I'm so sor-”

“No.” She said, and pulled back, “Don't say you're sorry, just don't do it again.” Adrien nodded and Marinette buried her face in his coat, letting him walk them both across the hall to her apartment. When the door was closed behind them, Marinette kissed him, letting him pick her up and drop her on the counter, reluctantly pulling away. She made a small noise of protest, but Adrien took off his shoes and coat, throwing them next to the door befor going to her fridge.

“As happy I am that you're not mad at me, I was on my way to get something to eat because I'm starving, and while I have _very_ high hopes for where this is going, I'm afraid you'll be disappointed with the outcome if I don't get something to eat first.” She sighed and watched him as he quickly pulled together a sandwich, setting it on a plate beside her on the counter.

“What made you finally read the texts I sent you?” He asked as she watched him eat, “I mean, it's been over a week.”

“I turned my phone on.” She said, “And Alya. Alya told me that you deserved another chance, so you really have her to thank.”

“I'll send her a card tomorrow.” He said and kissed her nose. She pulled her to her and kissed him for a moment before giggling and pushing her away.

“You taste like peanut butter.” And Adrien gestured to the sandwich.

“Gee, I wonder why.” But he was smiling as he finished it and stepped between her legs, his hands resting easily on her thighs.

“I'm glad you listened to Alya.” He murmured against her lips as she wrapped her arms around his neck, “She knows what she's talking about.”

“Yes she does.” Marinette kissed him, and let her legs clasp around his waist as his hands moved to her hips, before gripping her tightly and pulling her from the counter. He barely made it to her room before she had jumped down and was pushing him out of his clothes. She put her artist hands to good use as she undressed him, stepping back and holding out her arms, hoping he would know to do the same. But unlike Marinette and her frantic movements, Adrien took his time, his fingers moving down her arms, only to be followed by his lips, a pattern that followed slowly up her stomach as he removed her sweater, and down the inside of her leg as the sweatpants she had been wearing joiend his clothes on the floor.

When he stood back up to face her, her eyes were closed, and she opened them slowly.

“I missed you.” She said as he pulled her down into the blankets.

“I missed you too.” He spoke the words against her skin as she wove her fingers through his hair, pulling him back up to her. She kissed him gently, before letting him wander over her body, reacquainting himself with every curve, kissing every freckle as she lay beneath him.

Later, when both were close to sleep, Adrien couldn't help but ask, “What does LB stand for?” The question caught Marinette off guard, but she had an answer.

“Ladybug.” She said, “They're my favorite bug.”

“That's why you use red and black.” Adrien said, “I can't believe I never figured that out.” Marinette turned in his arms to face him and smiled, all her secrets on display. He knew everything now, and there was no going back. But it didn't scare her the way she thought it would, instead she felt safe, knowing that he was looking out for her as both Marinette, and Ladybug.

“You'll find a way to make it up to me.” She said, “I'm sure of it.” And she rolled on top of him, giving him a hint as to just how he could make it up to her.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And everything is back to normal (yay!) but it's not over yet! A few more chapters left and hopefully it will be enough fluff for all of you!


	16. The Accomplice

Just as time had slogged by when he and Marinette were apart, Adrien found that life with Marinette moved faster than he had ever experienced before. But Adrien could see there was a part of her that was still hesitant around him. He knew it would take longer than a few weeks, and more than the apology he had given to make up for what he had done. He even asked Alya about it, going to her office in the weeks after Marinette forgave him and explaining that he still felt like he needed to do something for her.

“You need to do something that shows how much you trust her.” She said, “I think I have an idea.” It didn't take long for them to finish the idea, and Adrien was excited about the small gift that he had for her when he walked into her apartment that day.

As per usual, Marinette was sitting on her couch, blanket wrapped around her shoulders, eyes wide as she watched tv, and her hair piled into a bun on the side of her head. Adrien leaned down and surprised her with a kiss that lasted longer than she was expecting.

“Hello to you too.” She said, her voice as soft as the smile she gave him. He sat down beside her and she let herself fall onto his shoulder, curling up into the arm that he put around her.

“How was your day?” He asked her, “Get much done?”

“I got a few things done.” She said, “I finished the costumes for The King and I, and I managed to sketch something I want to paint at some point. I'm pretty tired though, so it probably won't be for a little while.” She yawned as if to prove her point and Adrien kissed the top of her head.

“You do more than I do, and somehow still make it seem easy.”

“It's not something you can teach.” She said and closed her eyes, the TV lulling her into a calm daze as Adrien held her.

“I'm going to make dinner.” He said eventually, “You sleep for a while, and I'll wake you up when it's ready.”

“You're amazing.” She said as he pushed her off him, her whole body swaying to the other side of the couch as she fell asleep. Adrien couldn't help but laugh quietly as he went to the kitchen, making dinner as quietly as he could, looking over at her sleeping form every few moments as he made spaghetti for her.

Marinette woke up to Adrien's face close to hers.

“Dinner's ready.” He said to her and he stretched her arms up around his neck and he pulled her up, carrying her to the table.

“Spaghetti.” She said softly as he set her down, waking up slowly as she rubbed her eyes and looked at the table.

“Spaghetti, made for you.” He kissed her forehead and sat across from her, passing her the bowl of pasta. Since Adrien finding out Marinette was Ladybug, their conversations took on a relaxed quality that Adrien hadn't realized she was capable of. She leaned back in her chair, casually talking about her paintings and the paint she had on her hands that night. He smiled at her and thought about the small gift he had in his pocket. They talked their way through dinner, and before they were completely finished, Adrien began his plan.

“I'm getting kind of tired of leaving my apartment unlocked all the time.” He said, and looked up at her, “It's kind of an inconvenience.”

“Well I don't _have_ to come over if that's what you're saying.” Marinette said, her voice harsh, “I don't like leaving mine unlocked all the time either, but I do it.”

“Well there's an easier solution.” He said and his hand went for his pocket, “You don't have to get one for me, but I want you to know how much I trust you.” He pulled out the key he had made and smiled at her.

“Marinette, will you accept this key to my apartment?” She smiled at him and rolled her eyes, trying not to laugh.

“You are ridiculous sometimes.” But when Adrien handed her the key she held it close to her chest and smiled at him.

“Thank you for this.” She said, “I appreciate it.”

“You don't have to give-” He began but she stopped him.

“No, you should have a key to my place as well.” She thought for a moment, “And I want you to come with me when I paint next time.” Marinette watched his face to see his reaction, and when he smiled and nodded she was relieved.

“I would love to come with you.” He said, “When do you think you'll paint again?” He asked.

“Not tonight.” Marinette said, “I'm too tired, but maybe tomorrow night.” She stood up and went to her calendar, biting her bottom lip as she looked it over.

“I could do Wednesday night.” She said, “I'll come over around eleven and we can go from there.”

“I can't wait.” He said, and joined her in the kitchen, kissing her softly as he pressed her against the counter.

“You know just what to say.” She murmured against his lips, causing him to laugh and bury his face in her neck as she took hold of his hair. Marinette let her head fall back as Adrien kissed her, and wrapped his arms around her waist to lift her up against him. Marinette felt him moving back towards her mouth, kissing her softly, and that was when she yawned. Adrien stilled against her for a moment, and then started laughing. Not a soft laugh that she could hear more than feel, a laugh that shook his chest as he held her, and that she could feel against her cheek as his lips moved towards hers.

“Time for you to go to sleep.” He said, and lifted her into his arms and carried her into her room. “I'm assuming you can sleep in what you're wearing?” he said as he dropped her onto the bed. She nodded and pulled the blankets up to her chin. She yawned again as she pulled her hair down and fell back onto the pillow.

“Don't leave yet.” Marinette said, and she pulled him towards her, leaning on his chest as he sat beside her.

“I'm very happy I met you Marinette Dupain-Cheng.” Adrien said as he stroked her hair, leaning down to kiss her forehead, seeing her smile slightly and snuggle closer to him.

“I'm happy I met you too.” She whispered, and then was silent, falling asleep quickly to the steady rhythm of Adrien's heart.

Adrien was relieved to find out that Marinette was a much heavier sleeper than he was. He stayed with her until he was absolutely sure that she was asleep, and then pulled away, watching her sleep for a moment longer before going back to his apartment, feeding Plagg and heading to bed himself.

When Wednesday night arrived, Marinette was eager to use the key Adrien had given her. She pulled out her own keychain and put it on, heading for his place at eleven like they had agreed upon, quietly slipping into the hall in her black clothes, duffle bag on her shoulder. She opened the door quietly and found him standing close to the door, his own clothes all black as he smiled at her.

“I thought it was fitting.” He said, “I remember it's what you wore.”

“That would be correct.” She said and dropped her bag on the floor, “We'll leave in a few minutes, there are a few rules.”

“Okay.” He said, and they sat down together.

“First of all, you follow my lead.” She said, and he nodded, “Next, if someone comes by, just pull your hood up and run. We can meet back here, I'll take care of the bag, but you just get away. No one can know who you are.”

“Makes sense.” Adrien said, “Anything else?” He asked, but Marinette shook her head.

“You're going to be painting with me.” She said, and stood up, pulling a hood over her head, “It's going to be great.” She smiled at him and he kissed her softly, pulling her into his arms.

“No! Not now.” Marinette laughed, “After we get back you can kiss me as much as you want.” She said, “But right now we have work to do.” Adrien sighed and pulled back, letting her step back and pick up her bag, walking to the hall and taking Adrien's hand. Together they walked through the night and towards the first location that Marinette had picked out for painting that night. As luck would have it, it was empty and silent, Marinette dropping her bag and pulling her shirt up over her nose and mouth.

“For the fumes.” She said, and Adrien did the same. She pulled open her bag and tossed him a spray paint can. “Okay, I'm going to make a basic outline, and you're going to fill in the colors.” Soon both of them were painting, covering more of the wall in one night than Marinette had ever remembered being able to do in the past. When they finished, she stepped back and shook her head in amazement.

“Wow.” She turned to Adrien, “This is incredible looking if I do say so myself.” Adrien nodded in agreement and Marinette signed LB in the corner, hesitating for a moment before smiling at Adrien.

“Do you want to sign it too?” She asked and he took a step forward, thinking for a moment before signing with a small CN beside the LB.

“CN?” She asked when he stepped back, “What does that stand for.”

“It's french for Black Cat.” He said, “Chat Noir.” She laughed as he tossed her the can and she pulled her bag together, taking his hand as they walked back to the apartment building.

“So whose apartment are we spending tonight in?” Adrien whispered to her as they neared the doors.

“My bed in comfier, we're sleeping at my place.”

“Just sleeping?” Adrien said skeptically, and Marinette rolled her eyes, smirking as she unlocked the door and stepped inside, shedding her black clothes, and stuffing everything into the closet. When she returned to the front of the apartment, Adrien was laying on her couch. She sat on the back edge of the couch above him and leaned down, kissing him softly. Adrien pulled her down on top of him and she spread out on top of him, her hands resting on his chest as she looked at him.

“We make a good team.” She said eventually, “We should do that more often. We painted so much.”

“Alya's going to lose her mind.” Adrien said and wrapped his arms around her back, dragging her closer to kiss her again. Marinette wasn't sure when her bra ended up on the floor, and she had no idea when her underwear had been thrown, but she was aware when Adrien picked her up and headed for her room.

“Clothes.” She said as he put her down, “Off.” She kissed him and whispered against his lips, “ _Now._ ” He nodded and pulled off his shirt and kissed her again as she helped him out of the rest of his clothes. Marinette pushed him down onto the bed and straddled him, her fingers raking against his scalp as she kissed him. She could feel his hands on her back, slowly rubbing circles into her skin, fingers working softly at the muscles there. She moved her lips to his neck, and could hear as his breathing became shallow against her skin. She leaned away from him for a moment, and pulled something out of the nightstand beside her, making use of it as quickly as she could, sighing contently as she lowered herself back down, letting him push her hair to the side as his lips once again found her neck.

That night Marinette fell asleep on her stomach, one of Adrien's legs thrown over her's, and their hands entwined together. Both were exhausted from painting and they slept in a little later than they should have. When Adrien woke up, Marinette was standing in front of her dresser, completely naked with a toothbrush in her mouth.

“I was about to wake you up.” She said after spitting in the sink, “You have work in half an hour.” Adrien got up and looked around for his clothes, putting them on quickly, giving Marinette a kiss, and heading across the hall quickly. He made it to work on time, and found Alya running around the office, having just heard the news that there was a second signature next to LB the night before. Adrien smiled as Alya told him all about the new CN that had shown up, finally understanding what Marinette meant when she explained her reasons for not telling Alya about being LB. He went home that afternoon and was pleasantly surprised to find Marinette on his couch.

“Come snuggle me.” She said, and opened the blanket she was sitting in. He dropped his coat and bag at the door, kicking off his shoes and curling up beside her, sighing as she settled against him.

“I had a key made for you.” Marinette said as they sat together, “I have it on me.”

“Where?” Adrien asked, laughing as she looked up at him.

“In my clothes.” She whispered, “But I'll let you find out where.” And she kissed him, giggling as he pulled away and started to pull off her shirt. He tossed it aside, and was happy to find that the key had been pressed against her right breast. Marinette didn't bother putting her shirt back on, and settled against his side, the blanket wrapped around them both. She was watching him twirl the key in his fingers, her own making small lazy circles on his chest.

“Now we can both come and go as we please.” He said, “I expect to find you on my couch more often.” She laughed and closed her eyes.

“Likewise.” They sat together for a while longer, eventually finding their way into Adrien's room and to sleep, the black cat curled up around his ladybug.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So we only have one chapter left, and I just wanted to thank all of you once again for continuing to come back and read whatever I write. This has been a lot of fun, and I love coming online and seeing comments from all of you. Thanks!


	17. Ladybug & Chat Noir

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't going to post this until tomorrow, but I finished it early and just couldn't wait so here you go! The final chapter!

“It's been six months!” Alya was shouting now, “Six months, and we know nothing about who or what CN is!” She was looking at the two interns that she had working for her. She wasn't angry, she was just tired of not knowing who the second person was. Adrien stood in the doorway, smiling at her and she sighed, motioning for the interns to leave.

“Still haven't found anything?” Adrien asked as he sat down, and Alya shook her head.

“Nothing, we don't know if CN is a man, or a woman, I mean, we figured out LB was a woman pretty quick, but this new one? No idea.” Adrien couldn't help but feel smug that Alya and her interns knew nothing about the work he had been doing with Marinette, but he also knew this was partly Marinette's doing. She was a pro when it came to keeping her identity hidden, and had slowly been teaching him.

“Anyway, how's Marinette?” Alya asked, and while Adrien knew perfectly well that when Alya picked up her phone and sent out a quick text in was undoubtedly to Marinette, he still enlightened her on the topic.

“She's good, has she told you about the move?” He asked and Alya clapped her hands together.

“I'm so excited! Have you decided whose apartment you're going to live in?”

“Her's. It's a little bit bigger, and with two of us and all her bugs it was just easier for me to go over there.”

“What are you going to do about Plagg?” Alya asked, “I know Marinette has a guest room, but he can't just live in there all the time.”

“We're figuring it out.” Adrien said, “She's on a new medication that helps a lot when she's at my place, so hopefully when it's _our_ place, she'll be fine.” Alya shook her head for a moment and laughed.

“What?” Adrien asked, and Alya smiled at him.

“When Marinette called me and said that she was being held captive by a cat I didn't know what to think, and now here we are, and you're moving in together! My little babies are growing up so fast!” They talked for a while longer, mostly about LB and CN, and eventually Adrien went back to work, anxious to make the day go by. When he finally made it back to the apartment, he unlocked the door to his place and found boxes stacked by the door.

“Mari!” He called, “I'm home.” He heard her feet on the floor and she emerged, a box in her hands that she dumped by the door.

“Hey you.” She said, and gave him a kiss, “I got all your clothes done, and some of your personal stuff from your bedroom.”

“You know we can just take it over in trips.” He said, “We have a few days to move, and it's across the hall.”

“I know.” Marinette said as she wrapped her arms around his waist, looking up at him and smiling, “But now that I've gotten everything packed up we can just move it quickly and spend the night at _our_ place across the hall.” She said and he sighed, backing away from her and picking up one of the boxes.

“Is the door unlocked?” He asked, and Marinette nodded, following him into the hall. They managed to get most of his stuff moved into the living room pretty quickly, Marinette had made room for his clothes, and some other stuff around her room and the closet, helping him unpack as they went.

Marinette hadn't even hesitated when she asked Adrien if he wanted to live with her. She had decided that she didn't like it when he spent the night at his place, and she hated it even more when she woke up alone. So asking Adrien to live with her had never been a question. She knew they would be fine. She just wanted to make things easier for both of them. When they finally got all of his stuff into Marinette's place, they started to sort through it. The apartment had been furnished, so luckily nothing big was moving with him, but it was a lot of finding places within Marinette's things to put his. They gave up around midnight and fell asleep together on the couch, Adrien's feet splayed in front of him on the floor, and Marinette laying sideways on his chest. It wasn't the most comfortable position to fall asleep in, but neither seemed to care.

Adrien woke up a while later and yawned, looking down at Marinette. He picked her up, and headed for the room they would now officially be sharing. She woke up halfway there though and looked up at him, a lazy smile on her lips.

“Hey Adrien.” She said softly, “I love you.” He chuckled softly as they neared the door, he started to attempt to open it, but Marinette twisted slightly and got it.

“And I love you.” He said as he stepped inside. Both were still wearing their clothes, and while Adrien would have loved the excuse to undress his girlfriend, he just didn't have the energy. He put her down gently and climbed over her, pulling the blankets up around them both, pulling her against his chest.

“Goodnight, Mari.” He said and kissed her head, but all he got in response was the soft sound of her breathing.

Marinette wasn't 100% sure of how she had gotten to her bed during the night. She definitely fell asleep on the couch, but as she thought about it, she remembered being carried, and she turned to to find Adrien sleeping beside her. She leaned down and kissed his face a couple times, causing him to wake up and pull her back down beside him. She giggled as he kissed her face, her neck and finally her lips, rolling on top of her.

“You're certainly awake.” Marinette said when he pulled away, gasping for breath as he smiled down at her.

“We haven't christened _our_ apartment yet.” He said and she looked up at him with for a moment before pulling him back down against her.

“What time is it?” She said against his mouth, “You have work.” Adrien sighed and pulled away for a moment and was back in an instant.

“It's barely seven, we're doing this.” Marinette laughed again as he pulled his shirt over his head and bent down to do the same to her.

When Adrien made it to work he was in a better mood than he had been in for weeks. It was Friday, and he was going to spend the whole weekend with Marinette in their apartment. He looked at the keys on his keychain and smiled, at the end of the day, there would only be one. The day went by slowly, as Friday's often do, but eventually it came to an end, and Adrien made his way home, stopping by the Landlords apartment on the first floor.

They went upstairs together, and found Marinette already waiting for them, doors to both apartments open as she moved the last of Adrien's things.

“I left my key on the counter.” She called over her shoulder as Adrien and the landlord went into the apartment, “I think I got everything.” Adrien did one last sweep of the apartment as Marinette came over, putting an arm around his waist.

“I know you were here less than a year, and you spent much of that time at my place, but are you going to miss it?” She asked, and Adrien looked around.

“No.” He said truthfully, “Maybe if I wasn't going to get to live with you I would, but I won't miss anything that keeps me from you.” Marinette looked up at him and wished for a moment that the landlord wasn't there, but she managed to compose herself until they were back across the hall for good, jumping him halfway to the kitchen.

Two pizza deliveries later it was Sunday, and neither had left the apartment all weekend. They had been working on sketches together, lounging on the couch and enjoying each others company while the minutes ticked by. Marinette dreaded the coming of Monday morning, but when she woke up alone it didn't make her feel sad. She got up and found Adrien in the kitchen, sitting at the counter, eating a bowl of cereal. He greeted her with a smile and a kiss, as Marinette found herself some breakfast.

“Alright, I have to get going.” He headed for the door and Marinette followed in her pajamas, pulling him into a hug as he opened the door.

“I'll see you tonight, I love you.” She said, looking up at him. He kissed her again and then turned to the hall where a girl had just emerged from the apartment Adrien used to live in.

“Oh hey! You must be the new tenant!” Marinette leapt forward and held out her hand for the girl to shake, “Adrien here,” She motioned to her boyfriend, “Just moved out of that apartment.” The girl shook Marinette's hand.

“Yeah the landlord said something about a couple, you must be Marinette.” She said and Marinette laughed nervously.

“That's what I said when I met her.” Adrien said, stepping forward, “Don't be surprised if you find a ladybug in your apartment, Mari has about fifty of them.” The girl laughed.

“Alright, I have to go,” Adrien turned to Marinette, giving her a final kiss, “I love you, bye.” The girls watched him go.

“You guys are adorable.” The girl said, “How long have you been together?”

“About seven months.” Marinette said, “He's pretty great.” The girl nodded and turned to Marinette.

“Well I'm off to work as well, but I'm sure our paths will cross again.” She smiled, “I'm Chloé by the way.”

“It's nice to meet you Chloé.” Marinette said, “Enjoy the apartment.” She watched Chloé walk down the hall, and went back to her breakfast, and the comforting clutter of the apartment she now shared with Adrien.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE END. For now at least. Who knows? Maybe I'll write a sequel. If I do, it will definitely have more characters in the mix. For this one I basically just focused on Adrien and Marinette, but I'm open to writing something a bit more inclusive with the other characters. Anyway, I hope you had as much fun reading this as I had writing it, it's been one hell of a time. Thanks!  
> -CWQ


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